2024ApJ...972..137G

δ Scuti variables are found at the intersection of the classical instability strip and the main sequence on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. With space-based photometry providing millions of light curves of A-F type stars, we can now probe the occurrence rate of δ Scuti pulsations in detail. Using the 30 minutes cadence light curves from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite's first 26 sectors, we identify variability in 103,810 stars within 5-24 cycles per day down to a magnitude of T = 11.25. We fit the period-luminosity relation of the fundamental radial mode for δ Scuti stars in the GaiaG band, allowing us to distinguish classical pulsators from contaminants for a subset of 39,367 stars. Out of this subset, over 15,918 are found on or above the expected period-luminosity relation. We derive an empirical red edge to the classical instability strip using Gaia photometry. The center where the pulsator fraction peaks at 50%-70%, combined with the red edge, agrees well with previous work in the Kepler field. While many variable sources are found below the period-luminosity relation, over 85% of sources inside of the classical instability strip derived in this work are consistent with being δ Scuti stars. The remaining 15% of variables within the instability strip are likely hybrid or γ Doradus pulsators. Finally, we discover strong evidence for a correlation between pulsator fraction and spectral line broadening from the Radial Velocity Spectrometer on board the Gaia spacecraft, confirming that rotation has a role in driving pulsations in δ Scuti stars.