Home > Astrophysics > Variable Stars and Asteroseismology

How does asteroseismology work?

Answer 1

Astroseismology is the study of the vibrations in a star. In simplest terms you take detailed measurements of the brightness or a spectral line(s) of a star (or both) over a (very) long period of time (months to years) and you look for a pattern in the variations of the data from the vibrations. Space observations are best because the atmosphere can cause irregularities that bury the pattern.

Could you tell me the approximate level of the answer? Do you have any prior experience with spectra? What does photometry mean?

Could you comprehend time series or light curves? Are you familiar with Fourier analysis, which involves taking the average of the data and subtracting it to accentuate the variations?

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Answer 2

Audrey Arnold

Astronomers use asteroseismology to study the internal structure of stars by analyzing their oscillations. Stars vibrate because of internal pressure waves, and these vibrations produce patterns of brightness changes that are visible from Earth. Through the analysis of these patterns, astronomers can determine the temperature, density, and composition of the star.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.