Red giants are dying stars in advanced stages of stellar evolution that have depleted the hydrogen reserves in their cores. Astronomers have discovered new evidence that red giants experience “disruptions”—abrupt structural changes—in their inner core.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to look directly inside the star. However, a method called asteroseismology, which measures fluctuations similar to “earthquakes” in stars, can give an indirect idea of the depths of stars. “Glitches” can affect these fluctuations or the frequencies and trajectories of gravitational and sound waves passing through the bowels of the star.
As the researchers explain: “Waves propagating inside stars cause minute changes in stellar brightness, which can be detected with the help of high-precision space instruments. These waves show the conditions of the medium in which they propagate, that is, the physical properties of the stellar interiors.”