Asteroseismology

John Freeman∗
University of Utah Undergrad Student, Department of Physics
(Dated: December 6, 2019)
Spectral data is prone to false frequencies due to overlapping signals or periods of no record-
ing. This paper analyses astronomical data of pre-white dwarf PG 1701+427 in Fouirer space and
attempts to find false frequencies using a window function. After comparison, the predominant
frequencies in the data are assumed to be caused by the pulsation of the star rather than external
influence.

I. INTRODUCTION function added that would’ve otherwise gone unnoticed.

The purpose of this experiment is to determine pulsa-
tion frequencies of pre-white dwarf PG 1701+427 (naked
GW Vir). Some stars leaving the asymptotic giant
branch (AGB) can return depending on the phase known
as the “born-again” AGB phase. It is proposed that this
could be the cause of the PG 1159 (naked GW Vir) spec-
tral class [2]. The experiment is designed to test the con-
sistency of theoretical framework and experiments among
GW Vir stars [4]. PG 1701+427 provides information
that is useful for verifying the evolution of “born-again”
stars.
II. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
The Whole Earth Telescope (WET) is a worldwide col-
laboration of astronomers that obtain more information
of astronomical objects than a single site could. This
particular experiment has time intervals in which no data
was collected. Taking the Fourier transform of intensity
vs time data reveals predominant frequencies consider-
able for determining stellar parameters. Other factors
that could cause false frequencies are also considered. A
Fourier Transform of a windowing function shows false
frequencies caused by discontinuity. If the frequency
spikes of the data don’t compare to those of the win-
dowing, then the trust that the frequency is caused by
pulsation is reinforced.
III. NUMERICAL METHOD
A Fourier transform takes a superposition of sinusoidal
functions in the time domain and outputs the frequencies.
This is useful for determining which sinusoidal functions
exist within a given function. Consider a viewing a graph
that appears to be a simple sine function. After apply-
ing a Fourier Transform one would expect only a single
spike in the frequency domain. Now imagine that an-
other spike appears. That means there is another sine
This is one way that Fourier Transforms help us under-
stand spectral data. Discrete Transforms (DFT) require
special attention because under sampling could misrepre-
sent the frequencies because the actual oscillation could
be faster. The critical sampling of a sine wave is two
1
per cycle f = 2∆t . [1] This particular numerical method
uses the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). This is a special
case of DFT that utilizes symmetries to reduce the N XN
complex multiplications to N log2 N [1].
This particular numerical method begins with binning
two columns of spectral data provided by WET [3] into
units of time and mean intensity (brightness of the star).
An algorithm checks the length of the data and appends
each array to 215 bins. This is a requirement for some
FFT libraries. Furthermore, the time intervals of the
data is 60 secs and thus the critical sampling is consid-
ered.
To account for false frequencies, a windowing function
is applied. A signal function array is created and a quick
algorithm checks if the mean intensity bin is zero. If the
intensity is zero, then the corresponding signal function
bin is also zero. If the intensity is not zero, then the
corresponding signal function bin is 1 as shown in Fig-
ure 1. A FFT transform is applied to the time, mean
intensity, and window function. If a signal has a non
interval period caused by discontinuity or other reasons
then spectral leaking could affect nearby bins.
The spikes in the data frequency domain could be pul-
sations of PG 1701+427. Therefore, We are most inter-
ested in these ranges. Figure 2 scales in on these regions
for further analysis. The longest continuous stretch of
data is also of interest. This numerical method creates
an array that only consists of data within this stretch
and performs and FFT to be compared to the full range
data set as seen in figure 3. This has advantages and
disadvantages that will be discussed in section 4.

∗ Electronic address: johncfreeman1@gmail.com

 2

Windowed
1.0 50
Data Data
0.10
40

0.05
30
0.8
Intensit

0.00
20

−0.05 10
0.6
−0.10 0
750000 1000000 1250000 1500000 1750000 2000000 2250000 2500000 2750000 −0.0075 −0.0050 −0.0025 0.0000 0.0025 0.0050 0.0075
time (s) Hz
6000
1.0 Window Window
0.4
5000
0.8
4000
signal function

0.6
3000
0.2
0.4
2000

0.2 1000

0.0 0
0.0
0.0750000 1000000 1250000 15000000.2 1750000 2000000 2250000 2500000
0.4 2750000 −0.0075
0.6 −0.0050 −0.0025 0.0000 0.8 0.0025 0.0050 0.0075 1.0
time (s) Hz

FIG. 1: The data and window function in both time and frequency

selected range w/ windowed fourier

1.0 50
2950μHz - 3050μHz 2150μHz - 2350μHz
15 40
30
Intensity

Intensity

10
20
5 10
0.80 0
0.00296 0.00298 0.00300 0.00302 0.00304 0.002150 0.002175 0.002200 0.002225 0.002250 0.002275 0.002300 0.002325 0.002350
30 Hz 30 Hz
25 Window 25 Window
20 20
15 15
0.6
10 10
5 5
0 0
0.00296 0.00298 0.00300 0.00302 0.00304 0.002150 0.002175 0.002200 0.002225 0.002250 0.002275 0.002300 0.002325 0.002350
12.5 8
1280μHz - 1430μHz 1025μHz - 1175μHz
10.0
6
0.4
7.5
Intensity

Intensity

4
5.0
2.5 2
0.0 0
0.00128 0.00130 0.00132 0.00134 0.00136 0.00138 0.00140 0.00142 0.00102 0.00104 0.00106 0.00108 0.00110 0.00112 0.00114 0.00116 0.00118
30 Hz 30 Hz
0.2 Window Window
25 25
20 20
15 15
10 10
5 5
0.00 0
0.00128
0.0 0.00130 0.00132 0.00134
0.2 0.00136 0.00138 0.00140 0.40.00142 0.00104
0.6 0.00106 0.00108 0.00110 0.8 0.00112 0.00114 0.00116 1.0

FIG. 2: Selected ranges where the frequency in the data is most predominant
 3

Longest stretch
1.0
Longest
2.5 2950μHz - 3050μHz

0.0
0.00296 0.00298 0.00300 0.00302 0.00304
Original
Intensity

10 2950μHz - 3050μHz
0.8
0
0.00296 0.00298 0.00300 0.00302 0.00304
Hz Longest
2.5 2150μHz - 2350μHz

0.0
0.002150
50 0.002175 0.002200 0.002225 0.002250 0.002275 0.002300 0.002325 0.002350
0.6 Original
Intensity

2150μHz - 2350μHz

0
0.002150 0.002175 0.002200 0.002225 0.002250 0.002275 0.002300 0.002325 0.002350
Hz Longest
2.5 1280μHz - 1430μHz
0.4
0.0
0.00128 0.00130 0.00132 0.00134 0.00136 0.00138 0.00140 0.00142
10 Original
Intensity

1280μHz - 1430μHz

0
0.00128 0.00130 0.00132 0.00134 0.00136 0.00138 0.00140 0.00142
Hz Longest
0.2
2.5 1025μHz - 1175μHz

0.0
0.00104 0.00106 0.00108 0.00110 0.00112 0.00114 0.00116
Original
Intensity

5 1025μHz - 1175μHz

0.00
0.0
0.00102 0.00104 0.2 0.00106 0.001080.4 0.00110 0.60.00112 0.00114 0.8 0.00116 0.001181.0
Hz

FIG. 3: The entire dataset compared to the longest continuous stretch

zoomed
1.0
50
Data

40

30
0.8

20

10
0.6
0
−0.00004 −0.00003 −0.00002 −0.00001 0.00000 0.00001 0.00002 0.00003 0.00004
Hz
6000
Window
0.4
5000

4000

3000
0.2
2000

1000

0
0.0
−0.00004
0.0 −0.00003 0.2 −0.00002 −0.00001
0.4 0.00000 0.60.00001 0.00002 0.8 0.00003 0.00004
1.0
Hz

FIG. 4: A scaled The frequency domain of both data and window function

TABLE I: The approximate peak frequencies in the selected
ranges.
Frequency (µ Hz)a
2900
2230
2240
1345
1100
a rough estimate by looking at graphs
IV. RESULTS
Each of the peak frequencies in Figure 2 have shapes
similar to the window function (Figure 4). The window
function in at these intervals don’t share spikes with the
data. Because the window function is only noise when
the data spikes we can assume that the spikes are due
to pulsation frequencies rather than the discontinuity of
measurement. The interval 2150 µhz - 2350 µhz appears
to have more than one spike very close to each other.
There could be two pulsation frequencies close to one
another. The amplitude is highest in this region as well.
It is important to note that the scaling is not consistent
for all the ranges. The longest continuous stretch has
peaks at the same point except at 1100 µHz as shown in
Figure 3. The data spike isn’t represented well in the
longest stretch. The longest stretch reduces the noise of
the data so it could be that the noise contributed to the
[1] J. Belz, University of Utah
[2] Iben, I. Jr., Kaler, J., Truran, J., and Renzini, A. 1983,
ApJ, 264, 605.
[3] S.D.Kawaler et al, Astronomy and Astrophysics 428 969
4
intensity of the pulsation. While the noise is reduced in
the longest stretch data, it loses accuracy of the location
of the peaks. This is because there are less bins and the
discrete intervals are further spaced.
V. CONCLUSION
The pulsation frequencies provided in Table I were not
caused by discontinuity as checked by the window func-
tion. The pulsation at 1100 µhz could be weaker than the
data suggests because the longest stretch doesn’t repre-
sent this spike. However, this could as be due to a smaller
bin count and the peak is between two intervals. The
strongest pulsation frequencies are approximately 2230
and 224 µhz. The 2230 µhz frequency could’ve gone
unnoticed because of the neighboring pulsation. I no-
ticed this because the pulsation frequencies were the same
shape as the window function and this range didn’t follow
that consistency. I learned that aliasing in signal anal-
ysis is common and windowing is necessary to identify
false frequencies. Spectral leakage happens when a range
of data isn’t an interval period. This is always the case
so a window function is designed to minimize disconti-
nuity in the data. This numerical method didn’t apply
fixing discontinuity, rather it only showed us where it ex-
ists. Because the identified frequencies weren’t caused by
aliasing, then are assumed to be real pulsations for the
star.
(2004).
[4] O’Brien, M. S. 2000, ApJ, 532, 1078.