Contents
Acknowledgements
Abstract
List of Tables
List of Figures
Chapter 1: Context
1.1 Introduction
1.2 What Good is Astronomy?
1.3 The Nature of Knowledge
1.4 The Essence of my Dissertation Project
1.4.1 Genetic Algorithms
1.4.2 White Dwarf Stars
1.4.3 Linux Metacomputer
1.4.4 The Big Picture
1.5 Organization of this Dissertation
Chapter 2: Linux Metacomputer
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Motivation
2.3 Hardware
2.3.1 Master Computer
2.3.2 Slave Nodes
2.4 Software
2.4.1 Linux
2.4.2 YARD
2.4.3 NETBOOT
2.4.4 PVM
2.5 How it works
2.6 Benchmarks
2.7 Stumbling Blocks
Chapter 3: Parallel Genetic Algorithm
3.1 Background
3.2 Genetic Algorithms
3.3 Parallelizing PIKAIA
3.3.1 Parallel Virtual Machine
3.3.2 The PIKAIA Subroutine
3.4 Master Program
3.5 Slave Program
Chapter 4: Forward Modeling
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The DBV White Dwarf GD 358
4.3 DBV White Dwarf Models
4.3.1 Defining the Parameter-Space
4.3.2 Theoretical Models
4.4 Model Fitting
4.4.1 Application to Noiseless Simulated Data
4.4.2 The Effect of Gaussian Noise
4.4.3 Application to GD 358
4.5 Initial Results
4.6 Internal Composition & Structure
4.7 Constraints on Nuclear Physics
Chapter 5: Reverse Approach
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Model Perturbations
5.2.1 Proof of Concept
5.2.2 Application to GD 358
5.3 Results
5.4 Chemical Profiles
Chapter 6: Conclusions
6.1 Discussion of Results
6.2 The Future
6.2.1 Next Generation Metacomputers
6.2.2 Code Adaptations
6.2.3 More Forward Modeling
6.2.4 Ultimate Limits of Asteroseismology
6.3 Overview
Appendix A: Observations for the WET
A.1 What is the WET?
A.2 XCOV 15: DQ Herculis
A.3 XCOV 17: BPM 37093
A.4 XCOV 18: HL Tau 76
A.5 XCOV 19: GD 358
Appendix B: Interactive Simulations
B.1 Pulsation Visualizations
B.2 The Effect of Viewing Angle
Appendix C: Computer Codes
C.1 EVOLVE.F
C.2 PULSATE.F
C.3 PVM_FITNESS.F
C.4 FF_SLAVE.F
C.5 Documentation
Bibliography
Vita
Travis S. Metcalfe
August 2001
