A TESS-Based Exploratory Analysis of Candidate Delta Scuti Variable Stars

This exploratory study analyzes archival photometric observations from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to investigate a sample of 34 candidate Delta Scuti variable stars. The analysis uses TIC identifiers to obtain available light curves and applies light-curve cleaning, detrending, Lomb–Scargle periodogram analysis, dominant-period and amplitude measurements, residual-scatter estimates, and catalog-based stellar-property comparisons.

The candidates are grouped into exploratory classifications according to their observed photometric and frequency-domain characteristics. Population-level comparisons include dominant-period and amplitude distributions, period–amplitude relationships, peak periodogram power, residual scatter, color–magnitude information, and placement on the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram. Approximate pulsation constants are also estimated for targets with sufficient catalog parameters.

This work is an independent student research project and should be interpreted as an exploratory candidate-selection study rather than a definitive classification survey. The resulting classifications require confirmation through additional photometric observations, independent frequency analysis, and, where appropriate, spectroscopy.

The associated notebooks, tables, figures, environment information, and reproducibility documentation are deposited separately on Zenodo and linked to this record.