NASA's Roman Space Telescope to Revolutionize Asteroseismology of Galactic Bulge

Proposed study aims to maximize the telescope's unique capabilities for detecting and characterizing oscillations in evolved red giant stars.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Researchers from Ohio State University have proposed a study to leverage the capabilities of NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to dramatically expand the field of asteroseismology - the study of stellar oscillations. By generating detailed models of asteroseismic detectability, simulating the expected population of bulge red giants, and exploring the potential of Roman's astrometry and photometry, the team aims to greatly increase the sample size, precision, and accuracy of asteroseismic measurements for this important Galactic population.

Why it matters

Asteroseismology provides crucial insights into the masses, radii, and ages of stars, which in turn informs our understanding of Galactic structure and evolution. The Galactic bulge is a particularly interesting region to study, as it contains a wealth of evolved red giant stars that can be probed through asteroseismology. Expanding this field with the Roman Space Telescope's unique capabilities will lead to groundbreaking discoveries about the properties and origins of the bulge stellar population.

The details

The proposed study will leverage the Roman Space Telescope's high spatial resolution, infrared capabilities, large aperture, and precise observing cadence to overcome the challenges of asteroseismology in the crowded Galactic bulge. The researchers will develop improved models of asteroseismic detectability, accounting for the effects of saturation, and use these to generate a mock catalog of detectable red clump stars. This catalog will then be used to assemble a target list of stars with existing spectrophotometric data, enabling the team to calibrate their models and infer the selection function for the asteroseismic sample. Additionally, the researchers will explore the potential of Roman's astrometry to provide parallaxes and radii for fainter stars, further expanding the reach of asteroseismology.

  • The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch in the mid-2020s.

The players

Marc Pinsonneault

A professor at Ohio State University and the principal investigator for the proposed study.

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

An upcoming NASA space observatory that will be well-suited for asteroseismology of red giant stars in the Galactic bulge due to its high spatial resolution, infrared capabilities, large aperture, and precise observing cadence.

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What they’re saying

“Roman asteroseismology will constrain the properties of an important Galactic population and will be important for interpreting the results of the Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (GBTDS).”

— Marc Pinsonneault, Principal Investigator (nasa.gov)

What’s next

The researchers will next develop an improved asteroseismic detection model, generate a mock catalog of detectable red clump stars in the Galactic bulge, and assemble a target list of stars with existing spectrophotometric data to calibrate their models and infer the selection function for the asteroseismic sample.

The takeaway

The proposed study will leverage the unique capabilities of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to dramatically expand the field of asteroseismology, providing unprecedented insights into the masses, radii, and ages of evolved red giant stars in the Galactic bulge. This will lead to groundbreaking discoveries about the properties and origins of this important stellar population.