Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2010-07-19
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
5 pages, 7 figures, to appear under electronic form in : Proceedings of the 4th HELAS International Conference: Seismological
Scientific paper
Slowly Pulsating B and $\beta$ Cephei are $\kappa$ mechanism driven pulsating B stars. That $\kappa$ mechanism works since a peak in the opacity due to a high number of atomic transitions from iron-group elements occurs in the area of $\log T \approx 5.3$. Theoretical results predict very few SPBs and no $\beta$ Cep to be encountered in low metallicity environments such as the Small Magellanic Cloud. However recent variability surveys of B stars in the SMC reported the detection of a significant number of SPB and $\beta$ Cep candidates. Though the iron content plays a major role in the excitation of $\beta$ Cep and SPB pulsations, the chemical mixture representative of the SMC B stars such as recently derived does not leave room for a significant increase of the iron abundance in these stars. Whilst abundance of iron-group elements seems reliable, is the opacity in the iron-group elements bump underestimated? We determine how the opacity profile in B-type stars should change to excite SPB and $\beta$ Cep pulsations in early-type stars of the SMC.
Dupret Marc-Antoine
Miglio Andrea
Montalban Josefina
Morel Th.
Noels Arlette
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