Kepler asteroseismology program: Introduction and first results

Ronald L. Gilliland, Timothy M. Brown, Jørgen Christensen-Dalsgaard, Hans Kjeldsen, Conny Aerts, Thierry Appourchaux, Sarbani Basu, Timothy R. Bedding, William J. Chaplin, Margarida S. Cunha, Peter De Cat, Joris De Ridder, Joyce A. Guzik, Gerald Handler, Steven Kawaler, László Kiss, Katrien Kolenberg, Donald W. Kurtz, Travis S. Metcalfe, Mario J.P.F.G. MonteiroRobert Szabó, Torben Arentoft, Luis Balona, Jonas Debosscher, Yvonne P. Elsworth, Pierre Olivier Quirion, Dennis Stello, Juan Carlos Suárez, William J. Borucki, Jon M. Jenkins, David Koch, Yoji Kondo, David W. Latham, Jason F. Rowe, Jason H. Steffen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

379 Scopus citations

Abstract

Asteroseismology involves probing the interiors of stars and quantifying their global properties, such as radius and age, through observations of normal modes of oscillation. The technical requirements for conducting asteroseismology include ultrahigh precision measured in photometry in parts per million, as well as nearly continuous time series over weeks to years, and cadences rapid enough to sample oscillations with periods as short as a few minutes. We report on results from the first 43 days of observations, in which the unique capabilities of Kepler in providing a revolutionary advance in asteroseismology are already well in evidence. The Kepler asteroseismology program holds intrinsic importance in supporting the core planetary search program through greatly enhanced knowledge of host star properties, and extends well beyond this to rich applications in stellar astrophysics.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)131-143
Number of pages13
JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Volume122
Issue number888
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2010

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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