Effects of metallicity on mode switching in Cepheids

TL;DR

This study investigates how metallicity influences mode switching in Cepheid variable stars using nonlinear stellar pulsation models, revealing dependencies of pulsation periods on metallicity and confirming the mode of specific Cepheids.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive grid of evolutionary and hydrodynamic models to analyze metallicity effects on Cepheid mode switching, providing new insights into period limits and pulsation modes.

Findings

Period of first overtone decreases with increasing metallicity.

The period-radius relation is independent of metallicity and matches observations.

CG Cas is identified as a first-overtone pulsator.

Abstract

The mode switching in Cepheids is studied using the methods of the nonlinear theory of stellar pulsation, depending on the main sequence mass $M_0$ and the abundance of elements heavier than helium $Z$. The grid of evolutionary and hydrodynamic models of core--helium burning Cepheids is represented by 30 evolutionary sequences of stars with initial masses $5.7M_\odot\le M_0\le 7.2M_\odot$ and $Z=0.014$, 0.018, 0.022. For considered values of $Z$ the periods of the fundamental mode and the first overtone at the oscillation mode switching are shown to depend on the mean density of the stellar matter. The upper limit of the period of the first overtone decreases witn increasing $Z$ from $\approx 6.9$ day for $Z=0.014$ to $\approx 4.1$ day for $Z=0.022$. The theoretical period--radius relation is independent of $Z$ and agrees well (within 2.5\%) with recent measurements of Cepheid radii based on the Baade--Wesselink method. The fundamental parameters of the short--period Cepheid CG Cas were derived with application of observational estimates of the period and the rate of period change. This star is shown to be the first--overtone pulsator.