Site Map
Contacts
Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter YouTube channel
Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto

Verification of the Kepler Input Catalog from Asteroseismology of Solar-Type Stars

G. A. Verner, W. J. Chaplin, S. Basu, T. M. Brown, S. Hekker, D. Huber, C. Karoff, S. Mathur, T. S. Metcalfe, B. Mosser, P.-O. Quirion, T. Appourchaux, T. R. Bedding, H. Bruntt, T. L. Campante, Y. Elsworth, R. García, R. Handberg, C. Régulo, I. W. Roxburgh, D. Stello, J. Christensen-Dalsgaard, R. L. Gilliland, S. D. Kawaler, H. Kjeldsen, C. Allen, B. D. Clarke, F. R. Girouard

Abstract
We calculate precise stellar radii and surface gravities from the asteroseismic analysis of over 500 solar-type pulsating stars observed by the Kepler space telescope. These physical stellar properties are compared with those given in the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC), determined from ground-based multi-color photometry. For the stars in our sample,we find general agreement butwe detect an average overestimation bias of 0.23 dex in the KIC determination of log(g) for stars with log(g)KIC > 4.0 dex, and a resultant underestimation bias of up to 50% in the KIC radii estimates for stars with RKIC < 2R. Part of the difference may arise from selection bias in the asteroseismic sample; nevertheless, this result implies there may be fewer stars characterized in the KIC with R ~ 1R than is suggested by the physical properties in the KIC. Furthermore, if the radius estimates are taken from the KIC for these affected stars and then used to calculate the size of transiting planets, a similar underestimation bias may be applied to the planetary radii.

Keywords
stars: fundamental parameters – stars: interiors – stars: oscillations

The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume 738, Page L28_1
September 2011

>> ADS>> DOI

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) is a new but long anticipated research infrastructure with a national dimension. It embodies a bold but feasible vision for the development of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, taking full advantage and fully realizing the potential created by the national membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). IA resulted from the merging the two most prominent research units in the field in Portugal: the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon (CAAUL). It currently hosts more than two-thirds of all active researchers working in Space Sciences in Portugal, and is responsible for an even greater fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in the area of Space Sciences. This is the scientific area with the highest relative impact factor (1.65 times above the international average) and the field with the highest average number of citations per article for Portugal.

Proceed on CAUP's website|Go to IA website