Asteroseismology with the WIRE satellite - I. Combining ground- and space-based photometry of the $\delta$ Scuti star $\epsilon$ Cephei

Aims. We have analysed ground-based multi-colour Stromgren photometry and single-filter photometry from the star tracker on the WIRE satellite of the 6 Scuti star ∈ Cephei. Methods. The ground-based data set consists of 16 nights of data collected over 164 days, while the satellite data are nearly continuous coverage of the star during 14 days. The spectral window and noise level of the satellite data are superior to the ground-based data and this data set is used to locate the frequencies. However, we can use the ground-based data to improve the accuracy of the frequencies due to the much longer time baseline. Results. We detect 26 oscillation frequencies in the WIRE data set, but only some of these can be seen clearly in the ground-based data. We have used the multi-colour ground-based photometry to determine amplitude and phase differences in the Stromgren b - y colour and the y filter in an attempt to identify the radial degree of the oscillation frequencies. We conclude that the accuracies of the amplitudes and phases are not sufficient to constrain theoretical models of e Cep. We find no evidence for rotational splitting or the large separation among the frequencies detected in the WIRE data set. Conclusions. To be able to identify oscillation frequencies in 6 Scuti stars with the method we have applied, it is crucial to obtain more complete coverage from multi-site campaigns with a long time baseline and in multiple filters. This is important when planning photometric and spectroscopic ground-based support for future satellite missions like COROT and KEPLER.