Abstract
The star KIC8462852 (Tabby’s star) has shown anomalous drops in light flux. We perform a statistical analysis of the more numerous smaller dimming events by using methods found useful for avalanches in ferromagnetism and plastic flow. Scaling exponents for avalanche statistics and temporal profiles of the flux during the dimming events are close to mean field predictions. Scaling collapses suggest that this star may be near a nonequilibrium critical point. The large events are interpreted as avalanches marked by modified dynamics, limited by the system size, and not within the scaling regime.
- Received 12 July 2016
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.261101
© 2016 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Viewpoint
New Clues as to Why Boyajian’s Star is Dimming
Published 19 December 2016
A statistical analysis links a star’s mysterious brightness fluctuations to internal nonequilibrium phenomena, rather than structures orbiting around the star.
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