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Avalanche Statistics Identify Intrinsic Stellar Processes near Criticality in KIC 8462852

Mohammed A. Sheikh, Richard L. Weaver, and Karin A. Dahmen
Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 261101 – Published 19 December 2016
Physics logo See Viewpoint: New Clues as to Why Boyajian’s Star is Dimming
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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.

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  • Received 12 July 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.261101

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied PhysicsGravitation, Cosmology & AstrophysicsFluid Dynamics

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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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Authors & Affiliations

Mohammed A. Sheikh*, Richard L. Weaver, and Karin A. Dahmen

  • Department of Physics, 1110 West Green Street, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA

  • *masheik2@illinois.edu
  • dahmen@illinois.edu

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Issue

Vol. 117, Iss. 26 — 23 December 2016

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