Asteroseismology: oscillations on the star Procyon.
Stars are spheres of hot gas whose interiors transmit acoustic waves very efficiently. Geologists learn about the interior structure of Earth by monitoring how seismic waves propagate through it and, in a similar way, the interior of a star can be probed using the periodic motions on the surface that arise from such waves. Matthews et al. claim that the star Procyon does not have acoustic surface oscillations of the strength predicted. However, we show here, using ground-based spectroscopy, that Procyon is oscillating, albeit with an amplitude that is only slightly greater than the noise level observed by Matthews et al. using spaced-based photometry.
Bouchy
François
F
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, Traverse du Siphon, BP8, 13372 Marseille Cedex 12, France. francois.bouchy@oamp.fr
Maeder
André
A
Mayor
Michel
M
Mégevand
Denis
D
Pepe
Francesco
F
Sosnowska
Danuta
D