AAVSO: American Association of Variable Star Observers
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High School Students Watching Stars Evolve (Abstract)

Volume 40 number 1 (2012)

John R. Percy
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada; john.percy@utoronto.ca
Drew MacNeil
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada; john.percy@utoronto.ca
Leila Meema-Coleman
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada; john.percy@utoronto.ca
Karen Morenz
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada; john.percy@utoronto.ca

Abstract

(Abstract only) Some stars pulsate (vibrate). Their pulsation period depends primarily on their radius. The pulsation period changes if the radius changes, due to evolution, for instance. Even though the evolution is slow, the period change is measurable because it is cumulative. The observed time of maximum brightness (O) minus the calculated time (C), assuming that the period is constant, is plotted against time to produce an (O–C) diagram. If there is a uniform period change, this diagram will be a parabola, whose curvature—positive or negative —is proportional to the rate of period change. In this project, we study the period changes of RR Lyrae stars, old sun-like stars which are in the yellow giant phase, generating energy by thermonuclear fusion of helium into carbon. We chose 59 well-studied stars in the GEOS database, which consists of times of maximum measured by AAVSO and other observers. We included about a dozen RRc (first overtone pulsator) stars, since these have not been as well studied as the RRab (fundamental mode) stars because the maxima in their light curves are not as sharp. We will describe our results: about 2/3 of the stars showed parabolic (O–C) diagrams with period changes of up to 1.0 s/century, some with increasing periods and some with decreasing periods. The characteristic times for period changes (i.e. period divided by rate of change of period) were mostly 5–30 million years. These numbers are consistent with evolutionary models. Some stars showed too much scatter for analysis; we will discuss why. A few stars showed unusual (O–C) diagrams which cannot be explained simply by evolution. This project was carried out by coauthors MacNeil, Meema-Coleman, and Morenz, who were participants in the prestigious University of Toronto Mentorship Program, which enables outstanding senior high school students to participate in research at the university. We thank the AAVSO and other observers who made the measurements which were used in our project.