Solar-like Oscillation Diagnostics in Pre-Main Sequence Stars

The brief and transitory phase of the pre-main sequence is an important period of evolution from a stellar physics point of view as well as for its role in the early stages of planet formation. However, existing models of pre-main sequence stars do not agree and are not well calibrated. Large uncertainties in traditional diagnostics like luminosity and temperature during the pre-main sequence phase prevent precise constraints on stellar models. Because pre-main sequence stars have convective envelopes, they would be expected to support solar-like oscillations, which would allow us to study their frequencies with asteroseismology. These frequencies are dependent on stellar properties, like the mean density, temperature, and the detailed structure of the interior. I look at these so-called solar-like oscillations of pre-main sequence stars and show the potential of asteroseismology for constraining pre-main sequence models. I discuss the calculation of these metrics using stellar models from MESA and extracting their corresponding frequencies using GYRE. I evaluate the feasibility of using small and large frequency separations to distinguish pre-main sequence oscillations from giant star oscillations, which would be expected to occur at similar frequencies. I also show how pre-main sequence frequencies vary with metallicity, mass, and convective properties. Using asteroseismic metrics to evaluate the accuracy of pre-main sequence stellar models is promising and motivates the continued search for pre-main sequence oscillations in K2, TESS, and PLATO.