We report on analysis of 308.3 hrs of high speed photometry targeting the pulsating DA white dwarf EC14012-1446. The data were acquired with the Whole Earth Telescope (WET) during the 2008 international observing run XCOV26. The Fourier transform of the light curve contains 19 independent frequencies and numerous combination frequencies. The dominant peaks are 1633.907, 1887.404, and 2504.897 µHz. Our analysis of the combination amplitudes reveals that the parent frequencies are consistent with modes of spherical degree l=1. The combination amplitudes also provide m identifications for the largest amplitude parent frequencies. Our seismology analysis, which includes 2004-2007 archival data, confirms these identifications, provides constraints on additional frequencies, and finds an average period spacing of 41 s. Building on this foundation, we present nonlinear fits to high signal-to-noise light curves from the SOAR 4.1m, Mc-Donald 2.1m, and KPNO 2m telescopes. The fits indicate a time-averaged convective response timescale of τ 0 = 99.4 ± 17 s, a temperature exponent N = 85 ± 6.2 and an inclination angle of θ i = 32.9 ± 3.2 • . We present our current empirical map of the convective response timescale across the DA instability strip.

Context. The variable pre-white dwarf PG 1159 stars (GW Vir) are g-mode non-radial pulsators. Asteroseismology puts strong constraints on their global parameters and internal structure. PG 0122+200 defines the red edge of the instability strip and its evolutionary timescale is predicted to be dominated by neutrino emission. Its study offers the opportunity to better understand the instability mechanism and to validate the physics of the neutrino production in dense plasma. Aims. To achieve such a goal requires determining precisely its fundamental parameters. This is the goal of this paper. Methods. We present new multi-site photometric observations obtained in 2001 and 2002. Together with previous data, they allow us to detect 23 frequencies, composed of 7 triplets and 2 single frequencies, which are used to constrain its internal structure and derive its fundamental parameters. Results. All the observed frequencies correspond to = 1 g-modes. The period distribution shows a signature of mode trapping from which we constrain the He-rich envelope mass fraction to be -6.0 ≤ log(q y ) ≤ −5.3. The comparison of the mode trapping amplitudes among GW Vir stars suggests that the mass-loss efficiency must decrease significantly below T eff ≤ 140 kK. We measure an average period spacing of 22.9 s from which we derive a mass of 0.59 ± 0.02 M . From the triplets we measure a mean rotational splitting of 3.74 µHz and a rotational period of 1.55 days. We derive an upper limit to the magnetic field of B ≤ 4 × 10 3 G. The luminosity (log L/L = 1.3 ± 0.5) and the distance (D = 0.7 +1.0 −0.4 kpc) are only weakly constrained due to the large uncertainty on the spectroscopically derived surface gravity and the absence of a measured parallax. Conclusions. From the asteroseismic mass, the ratio of the neutrino luminosity on the photon luminosity is 1.6 ± 0.2 confirming that the PG 0122+200 evolutionary time scale should be dominated by neutrino cooling. A measurement ofṖ for the largest amplitude untrapped modes should verify this prediction.

The development of increasingly small devices for the satellite tracking of small birds allows us to explore aspects of avian migration that have never been studied before. Here, we provide the results of using 12-and 9.5-g platform transmitter terminals (PTTs) to track game birds of 300-385 g. Attaching PTTs to 20 Woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola), wintering in Spain from 2006 to 2012, allowed us to explore (1) migration strategies (timing, velocity and stopovers), (2) the identity of the breeding grounds; (3) inter-year site fidelity to wintering grounds. We provide details of the route, speed and timing of migration and the location of remote breeding sites that were unknown prior to this study. The departure from winter quarters (median date) was completed by 20 March. The spring migration period lasted 40 days, and our birds were found to travel from [5,000 to [10,000 km, with a mean total migratory speed (i.e., including stopovers) of 170 km/day. Woodcocks followed fairly direct routes of migration. Stopover duration tended to be shortened when birds were closer to their breeding areas, which were located further east than previously stated. The only bird that provided long-term data ([1 year) was observed to return to the same wintering area, suggesting high winter site fidelity. The use of small PTTs opens new research lines related to the study and management of small to medium-sized migratory birds.

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