S. J. Murphy, A. Grigahcène, E. Niemczura, D. W. Kurtz, K. Uytterhoeven
Abstract
KIC3429637 (HD178875) is a δ Sct star whose light-curve shows continuous pulsational amplitude growth in Kepler Mission photometry. Analysis of the three largest amplitude peaks in the Fourier transform indicates different growth rates for all three. We have ruled out instrumental causes, and determine the amplitude growth to be intrinsic to the star. We calculate time-dependent convection models and compare them with the observations. We confirm earlier characterisations that KIC3429637 is a marginal Am star through the analysis of new spectroscopic data. With the data presently available, a plausible cause of the amplitude growth is increasing pulsational driving as evolutionary changes shift the He II driving zone deeper in this ρ Puppis star. If this model is correct, then we are watching real-time stellar evolutionary changes.
Keywords
stars: chemically peculiar – stars: individual: HD178875 – stars: oscillations – stars: variables: δ Scuti.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume 427, Issue 2, Page 1418
2012 December
