Uploaded June 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this webinar, originally broadcast May 22, Trevor Dorn-Wallenstein (UWashington) presents, "Solving the Red Supergiant Problem with a New Class of Pulsators." Massive stars drive the radiative, chemical, and kinematic evolution of their host galaxies. Despite the importance of these stars, the physical factors that govern their progression through their exotic evolved states are poorly understood. In particular, there is a mismatch between the masses of stars we expect to explode as supernovae, and the red supergiant stars we have witnessed undergoing this cataclysmic event—a discrepancy known as the red supergiant problem. One potential solution? If the most massive and luminous red supergiants shed enough of their envelopes before the ends of their lives, they explode as yellow or blue supergiants instead. Discovering the lowest mass star that undergoes this phenomenon would place stringent constraints on the evolution and final fates of massive stars. Dorn-Wallenstein discusses the discovery of a new class of pulsators called “fast yellow pulsating supergiants” (FYPS) that may be genuine post-red supergiant objects, as well as the scientific avenues that this class may let us explore. He also demonstrates how observations from AAVSO observers can enable similar discoveries. Complete with the broadcast Q & A session.
Explore AAVSO and how YOU can make a valuable contribution to science by visiting us at aavso.org
In this webinar, originally broadcast May 22, Trevor Dorn-Wallenstein (UWashington) presents, "Solving the Red Supergiant Problem with a New Class of Pulsators." Massive stars drive the radiative, chemical, and kinematic evolution of their host galaxies. Despite the importance of these stars, the physical factors that govern their progression through their exotic evolved states are poorly understood. In particular, there is a mismatch between the masses of stars we expect to explode as supernovae, and the red supergiant stars we have witnessed undergoing this cataclysmic event—a discrepancy known as the red supergiant problem. One potential solution? If the most massive and luminous red supergiants shed enough of their envelopes before the ends of their lives, they explode as yellow or blue supergiants instead. Discovering the lowest mass star that undergoes this phenomenon would place stringent constraints on the evolution and final fates of massive stars. Dorn-Wallenstein discusses the discovery of a new class of pulsators called “fast yellow pulsating supergiants” (FYPS) that may be genuine post-red supergiant objects, as well as the scientific avenues that this class may let us explore. He also demonstrates how observations from AAVSO observers can enable similar discoveries. Complete with the broadcast Q & A session.
Explore AAVSO and how YOU can make a valuable contribution to science by visiting us at aavso.org
