Solar-like oscillations in eta Boo

Abstract

We have observed evidence for $p$-mode oscillations in the G0 IV star etaBoo (V = 2.68). This represents the first clear evidence of solar-like oscillations in a star other than the Sun. We used a new technique which measures fluctuations in the temperature of the star via their effect on the equivalent widths of the Balmer lines. The observations were obtained over six nights with the 2.5 m Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma and consist of 12684 low-dispersion spectra. In the power spectrum of the equivalent-width measurements, we find an excess of power at frequencies around 850 microHz (period 20 minutes) which consists of a regular series of peaks with a spacing of $Δν=40.3$ microHz. We identify thirteen oscillation modes, with frequency separations in agreement with theoretical expectations. Similar observations of the daytime sky show the five-minute solar oscillations at the expected frequencies.