Advanced search
Start date
Betweenand
(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Clues on the Origin and Evolution of Massive Contact Binaries: Atmosphere Analysis of VFTS 352

Full text
Author(s):
Show less -
Abdul-Masih, Michael [1] ; Sana, Hugues [1] ; Sundqvist, Jon [1] ; Mahy, Laurent [1] ; Menon, Athira [2] ; Almeida, Leonardo A. [3] ; De Koter, Alex [2, 1] ; de Mink, Selma E. [2] ; Justham, Stephen [2, 4] ; Langer, Norbert [5] ; Puls, Joachim [6] ; Shenar, Tomer [1] ; Tramper, Frank [7]
Total Authors: 13
Affiliation:
[1] KULeuven, Inst Astrophys, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001 Leuven - Belgium
[2] Univ Amsterdam, Astron Inst Anton Pannekoek, Sci Pk 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam - Netherlands
[3] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Norte, Dept Fis Teor & Expt, CP 1641, BR-59072970 Natal, RN - Brazil
[4] Univ Chinese Acad Sci, Sch Astron & Space Sci, Beijing 100012 - Peoples R China
[5] Univ Bonn, Argelander Inst Astron, Hugel 71, D-53121 Bonn - Germany
[6] LMU Munchen, Univ Sternwarte, Scheinerstr 1, D-81679 Munich - Germany
[7] Natl Observ Athens, Inst Astron Astrophys Space Applicat & Remote Sen, Athens 15236 - Greece
Total Affiliations: 7
Document type: Journal article
Source: ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL; v. 880, n. 2 AUG 1 2019.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

The massive O4.5 V + O5.5 V binary VFTS 352 in the Tarantula Nebula is one of the shortest-period and most massive overcontact binaries known. Recent theoretical studies indicate that some of these systems could ultimately lead to the formation of gravitational waves via black hole binary mergers through the chemically homogeneous evolution pathway. By analyzing ultraviolet-optical phase-resolved spectroscopic data, we aim to constrain atmospheric and wind properties that could be later used to confront theoretical predictions from binary evolution. In particular, surface abundances are powerful diagnostics of the evolutionary status, mass transfer, and internal mixing processes. From a set of 32 Very Large Telescope/FLAMES visual and eight Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph ultraviolet spectra, we used spectral disentangling to separate the primary and secondary components. Using a genetic algorithm wrapped around the NLTE model atmosphere and the spectral synthesis code FASTWIND, we perform an 11-parameter optimization to derive the atmospheric and wind parameters of both components, including the surface abundances of He, C, N, O, and Si. We find that both components are hotter than expected compared to single-star evolutionary models, indicating that additional mixing processes may be at play. However, the derived chemical abundances do not show significant indications of mixing when adopting baseline values typical of the system environment. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 12/09716-6 - Accurate distances to young clusters through massive eclipsing binaries
Grantee:Leonardo Andrade de Almeida
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
FAPESP's process: 11/51680-6 - Exploring the universe: from the galaxies formation to Earth-like planets with the Giant Magellan Telescope
Grantee:Laerte Sodré Junior
Support Opportunities: Special Projects
FAPESP's process: 13/18245-0 - Full spectroscopic orbital solutions for more than 100 massive binaries in the high-mass starburst region 30 Doradus
Grantee:Leonardo Andrade de Almeida
Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor