Asteroseismology

Abstract

Asteroseismology is the study of the interior physics and structure of stars using their pulsations. It is applicable to stars across the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram and a powerful technique to measure masses, radii and ages, but also directly constrain interior rotation, chemical mixing, and magnetism. This is because a star's self-excited pulsation modes are sensitive to its structure. Asteroseismology generally requires long-duration and high-precision time series data. The method of forward asteroseismic modelling, which is the statistical comparison of observed pulsation mode frequencies to theoretically predicted pulsation frequencies calculated from a grid of models, provides precise constraints for calibrating various transport phenomena. In this introduction to asteroseismology, we provide an overview of its principles, and the typical data sets and methodologies used to constrain stellar interiors. Finally, we present key highlights of asteroseismic results from across the HR diagram, and conclude with ongoing challenges and future prospects for this ever-expanding field within stellar astrophysics.

This is the author accepted manuscript version of: Bowman, D.M. and Bugnet, L. (2025) Asteroseismology. In: Mandel, I. (eds.) Encyclopedia of Astrophysics. Vol. 2, pp. 133-153.UK: Elsevier. The published version is available via the DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-21439-4.00036-5

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