Grid search in stellar parameters: a software for spectrum analysis of single stars and binary systems^⋆

Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
e-mail: Andrew.Tkachenko@ster.kuleuven.be

Received: 11 May 2015
Accepted: 9 July 2015

Abstract

Context. The currently operating space missions, as well as those that will be launched in the near future, will deliver high-quality data for millions of stellar objects. Since the majority of stellar astrophysical applications still (at least partly) rely on spectroscopic data, an efficient tool for the analysis of medium- to high-resolution spectroscopy is needed.

Aims. We aim at developing an efficient software package for the analysis of medium- to high-resolution spectroscopy of single stars and those in binary systems. The major requirements are that the code should have a high performance, represent the state-of-the-art analysis tool, and provide accurate determinations of atmospheric parameters and chemical compositions for different types of stars.

Methods. We use the method of atmosphere models and spectrum synthesis, which is one of the most commonly used approaches for the analysis of stellar spectra. Our Grid Search in Stellar Parameters (gssp) code makes use of the Message Passing Interface (OpenMPI) implementation, which makes it possible to run in parallel mode. The method is first tested on the simulated data and is then applied to the spectra of real stellar objects.

Results. The majority of test runs on the simulated data were successful in that we were able to recover the initially assumed sets of atmospheric parameters. We experimentally find the limits in signal-to-noise ratios of the input spectra, below which the final set of parameters is significantly affected by the noise. Application of the gssp package to the spectra of three Kepler stars, KIC 11285625, KIC 6352430, and KIC 4931738, was also largely successful. We found an overall agreement of the final sets of the fundamental parameters with the original studies. For KIC 6352430, we found that dependence of the light dilution factor on wavelength cannot be ignored, as it has a significant impact on the determination of the atmospheric parameters of this binary system.

Conclusions. The gssp software package is a compilation of three individual program modules suitable for spectrum analysis of single stars and individual binary components. The code is highly effective and can be used for spectrum analysis of large samples of stars.