Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Constraining The Evolution Of Zz Ceti, Anjum S. Mukadam, Matt A. Wood, Nicole M. Silvestri

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

We report our analysis of the stability of pulsation periods in the DAV star (pulsating hydrogen atmosphere white dwarf) ZZ Ceti, also called R548. On the basis of observations that span 31 years, we conclude that the period 213. 13 s observed in ZZ Ceti drifts at a rate dP/dt ≤ (5.5 ± 1.9) × 10ˉ¹⁵ s sˉ¹, after correcting for proper motion. Our results are consistent with previous Ṗ values for this mode and an improvement over them because of the larger time base. The characteristic stability timescale implied for the pulsation period is | Ṗ / |≥ 1.2 …