Self-Excited Pulsations and the Instability Strip of Long-Period Variables: the Transition from Small-Amplitude Red Giants to Semi-Regular Variables

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Trabucchi, Michele, Pastorelli, Giada
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866913654863036416
author Trabucchi, Michele
Pastorelli, Giada
author_facet Trabucchi, Michele
Pastorelli, Giada
contents We use one-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations combined with synthetic stellar population models of the Magellanic Clouds to study the onset of self-excited pulsation in luminous red giants. By comparing the results with OGLE observations in the period-luminosity diagram we are able to link the transition from small-amplitude red giants to semi-regular variables with a shift from stochastic driving to self-excited pulsations. This is consistent with previous studies relating this transition with an increase in mass-loss rate, dust formation, and the appearance of long secondary periods. The luminosity and effective temperature at the onset of pulsation are found to depend on metallicity, hydrogen content, and the adopted mixing length parameter. This confirms the role of partial hydrogen ionization in driving the pulsation, supporting the idea of a heat mechanism similar to that of classical pulsators. We examine the impact of turbulent viscosity, and find clear evidence that it must be adjusted according to the stellar chemical and physical parameters to fully match observations. In order to improve the predictive power of pulsation models, the turbulent viscosity and the temperature scale of pulsating red giants must be jointly calibrated. This is critical for model-based studies of the period-luminosity relations of evolved stars and to exploit their potential as distance and age indicators, in particular given the sensitivity of the onset of pulsation to the envelope composition. The grid of models is made publicly available with a companion interpolation routine.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_10341
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Self-Excited Pulsations and the Instability Strip of Long-Period Variables: the Transition from Small-Amplitude Red Giants to Semi-Regular Variables
Trabucchi, Michele
Pastorelli, Giada
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
We use one-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations combined with synthetic stellar population models of the Magellanic Clouds to study the onset of self-excited pulsation in luminous red giants. By comparing the results with OGLE observations in the period-luminosity diagram we are able to link the transition from small-amplitude red giants to semi-regular variables with a shift from stochastic driving to self-excited pulsations. This is consistent with previous studies relating this transition with an increase in mass-loss rate, dust formation, and the appearance of long secondary periods. The luminosity and effective temperature at the onset of pulsation are found to depend on metallicity, hydrogen content, and the adopted mixing length parameter. This confirms the role of partial hydrogen ionization in driving the pulsation, supporting the idea of a heat mechanism similar to that of classical pulsators. We examine the impact of turbulent viscosity, and find clear evidence that it must be adjusted according to the stellar chemical and physical parameters to fully match observations. In order to improve the predictive power of pulsation models, the turbulent viscosity and the temperature scale of pulsating red giants must be jointly calibrated. This is critical for model-based studies of the period-luminosity relations of evolved stars and to exploit their potential as distance and age indicators, in particular given the sensitivity of the onset of pulsation to the envelope composition. The grid of models is made publicly available with a companion interpolation routine.
title Self-Excited Pulsations and the Instability Strip of Long-Period Variables: the Transition from Small-Amplitude Red Giants to Semi-Regular Variables
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.10341