SAC Seminar - Steven Kawaler: Connecting highly evolved stars with their younger selves through space-based asteroseismology
Within the last 10 years and at an accelerating pace, space-based observations have been exposing the interiors of stars at all stages of their development. The number of stars subject to these studies range from dozens to thousands depending on the specific type of star. Prior to this era, our studies relied on in-depth study of individual targets, mostly subject to the handicap of observing from a rotating, cloud-dotted platform. In this talk, I'll discuss several recent revelations about how stars evolve after they've left the main sequence. In particular, we'll look at what the Kepler and K2 missions have revealed about the interior structure of white dwarfs and core helium-burning sdB stars - and how internal properties these geriatric stellar types are connected with their red giant predecessors.