Coordinated Global Time-Series Photometry of Variable Stars: The Whole Earth Telescope

全球望远镜（WET）项目协调了世界上十多个天文台的观测活动，以观测白矮星。在一个给定的国际运动中，目标恒星被全天候观察几个星期。从这些光度变化的连续记录中，可以检测到许多不同频率的振荡。每一个都与恒星内部给定的深度、不透明度、密度和电离状态直接相关。与地球内部的地震研究类似，星震学为恒星内部的理论模型提供了为数不多的观测验证之一。对观察到的频率进行详细的分析，可以获得高精度的冷却速率、成分和质量，这是任何其他方法都无法实现的。这项技术正在被扩展到热亚矮星、d - Scuti变星、Ap星和其他处于演化后期的不稳定天体。WET的运营中心正从德克萨斯州转移到爱荷华州。该项目由美国国家科学基金会恒星天文学和天体物理学计划（SAA）和国际计划部（INT）提供资金。

ABSTRACTKawaler, StevenAST-9876655The Whole Earth Telescope (WET) project coordinates over a dozen observatories around the world in observational campaigns to observe white dwarf stars. During a given international campaign, target stars are observed around-the-clock for several weeks. From these continuous records of photometric variability, many different frequencies of oscillation can be detected. Each is related directly to a given depth, opacity, density, and ionization state in the stellar interior. Analogous to earthquake studies of the Earth's interior, asteroseismology provides one of the few observational verifications of theoretical models of stellar interiors. Detailed analysis of the frequencies observed yields high precision cooling rates, composition and masses that are unachievable by any other means. This technique is being extended include hot subdwarfs, d Scuti variables, Ap stars and other unstable objects in late stages of evolution. The operational center of WET is being moved from Texas to Iowa.Funding for this project was provided by the NSF Stellar Astronomy & Astrophysics Program (SAA) and Division of International Programs (INT).