Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
individual
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Julia Clark, Junior
Lead Presenter's Name
Julia Clark
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Tomomi Otani
Abstract
Subdwarf B (sdB) stars are extreme horizontal branch stars with high temperature and gravity. The explanation for the formation of sdBs is widely unknown. A common theory is that they are the result of interactions in a binary system. About 30% of the sdB stars experience pulsations, and the brightness of the star varies in a cycle. Observing the timing of the pulsation’s frequency will determine if the sdB star is a single star or a part of a binary system. This method is called the pulsation timing method. The NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) telescope can observe the same star continuously for an extended period of time, so the data is perfect for this method, which requires many observations. Using the data from TESS, the objectives of this work are to (1) verify that the pulsation timing method is effective in finding binary star systems, and (2) determine if sdB stars have binary companions, or discover if they are on their own.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Searching for Binary Systems to Investigate the Formation of Subdwarf B Stars
Subdwarf B (sdB) stars are extreme horizontal branch stars with high temperature and gravity. The explanation for the formation of sdBs is widely unknown. A common theory is that they are the result of interactions in a binary system. About 30% of the sdB stars experience pulsations, and the brightness of the star varies in a cycle. Observing the timing of the pulsation’s frequency will determine if the sdB star is a single star or a part of a binary system. This method is called the pulsation timing method. The NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) telescope can observe the same star continuously for an extended period of time, so the data is perfect for this method, which requires many observations. Using the data from TESS, the objectives of this work are to (1) verify that the pulsation timing method is effective in finding binary star systems, and (2) determine if sdB stars have binary companions, or discover if they are on their own.