Analysis of Pulsating White Dwarf Star Light Curves

Abstract

Analysis techniques are presented for extracting the frequencies contained in the light curves of pulsating white dwarf stars. In several surface temperature regimes, these astronomical objects are unstable to gravity mode pulsations which result in brightness variations corresponding to the periods of the excited modes. There is a rich array of possible periods with values ranging from about 100 to 1000 seconds. Mode periods present in the light curve are detected by undertaking a Fourier analysis of the time series light curve; theoretical models of the star can be refined with this information. The Fourier analysis needs to take into account such things as finite length, data gaps and the presence of noise.