RR Lyrae Studies with Kepler

TL;DR

Kepler's high-precision data has significantly advanced the understanding of RR Lyrae stars, revealing new insights into their internal processes and variability.

Contribution

This paper reviews recent breakthroughs in RR Lyrae star studies enabled by Kepler's data, highlighting new discoveries and analysis methods.

Findings

Identification of over 50 RR Lyrae stars in Kepler data

New insights into RR Lyrae pulsation mechanisms

Enhanced understanding of stellar interior processes

Abstract

The spectacular data delivered by NASA's {\it Kepler} mission have not only boosted the discovery of planets orbiting other stars, but they have opened a window on the inner workings of the stars themselves. For the study of the RR Lyrae stars, Kepler has led to a breakthrough. To date, over 50 RR Lyrae stars are known in the Kepler field. They are studied within the RR Lyrae/Cepheid working group of the Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium (KASC). This paper highlights some of the most interesting results on RR Lyrae stars obtained through Kepler so far.