Stellar Seismology

恒星地震学

• 批准号: 155320-2007
• 负责人: Guenther, David
• 金额: $ 3.38万
• 依托单位: Saint Mary's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2007-01-01 至 2008-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=363441
• 关键词: Stellar; Seismology

My research is primarily directed toward understanding how stars work by analyzing the harmonic structure of sound waves that bounce around their interiors. The sound waves are not heard but seen. As a sound wave travels through the interior of a star it causes the material of the star to oscillate up and down into warmer and cooler regions of the star. The changes in temperature of the material can be seen on the surface of a star as minute variations in the star's brightness. From the brightness fluctuations, we can deduce the frequency and amplitude of the sound waves, which, in turn, can be used to build a picture of what is going on inside the star. Our methods are in many ways similar to the techniques used by seismologists to map out the composition of the interior of the earth using the vibrations produced by earthquakes.In order to clearly see the fluctuations we need to observe the same star continuously for at least a couple of weeks, without interruption from weather and daylight. In addition, we need to avoid the twinkling effects of the earth's atmosphere. Therefore, we must observe from a "space telescope" specifically designed and dedicated to observing the tiny variations in light. Canadian scientists were the first to build and launch such a satellite. The satellite, called MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations on STars), has been in operation now for over three years. My research colleagues and I have been analyzing the data obtained from the satellite to build a detailed picture of the interiors of sun-like stars.I will soon direct my attention to pre-main-sequence and giant stars. Pre-main-sequence stars are young stars, recently formed, still collapsing, and not yet burning nuclear fuel. Giant stars are swollen stars, near the end of their life. I along with other asteroseismologists (as we have come to call ourselves) hope to build a well constrained model of the birth, life, and death of stars like our sun.

我的研究主要是针对理解恒星如何通过分析围绕其内部弹跳的声波的谐波结构来理解工作的。声波没有听到，而是看到。当声波穿过恒星的内部时，它会导致恒星的材料上下旋转到恒星的较温暖和凉爽的区域。随着恒星亮度的微小变化，可以在恒星表面上看到材料温度的变化。从亮度波动中，我们可以推断出声波的频率和振幅，这反过来又可以用来构建恒星内部发生的情况。我们的方法在许多方面都类似于地震学家使用地震产生的振动来绘制地球内部组成的技术，以清楚地看到我们需要在不中断天气和日光的情况下，要清楚地看到我们需要连续观察同一星星的波动。此外，我们需要避免地球大气的闪烁影响。因此，我们必须从专门设计和致力于观察光中微小变化的“空间望远镜”中观察。加拿大科学家是第一个建造和发射这样的卫星的科学家。该卫星被称为大多数（恒星上的微验证和振荡），已经运行了三年多。我和我的研究同事一直在分析从卫星获得的数据，以构建类似太阳恒星的内饰的详细图片。预序列恒星是年轻的恒星，最近形成，仍在崩溃，尚未燃烧核燃料。巨大的星星是巨大的星星，近在世的尽头。我与其他星际学家（正如我们所说的那样）希望建立一个良好的限制模型，以对我们的阳光等星星的出生，生命和死亡。