English

Evolved Eclipsing Binaries and the Age of the Open Cluster NGC 752

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2022-12-14 v1 Astrophysics of Galaxies

Abstract

We present analyses of improved photometric and spectroscopic observations for two detached eclipsing binaries at the turnoff of the open cluster NGC 752: the 1.01 day binary DS And and the 15.53 d BD ++37 410. For DS And, we find M1=1.692±0.004±0.010MM_1 = 1.692\pm0.004\pm0.010 M_\odot, R1=2.185±0.004±0.008RR_1 = 2.185\pm0.004\pm0.008 R_\odot, M2=1.184±0.001±0.003MM_2 = 1.184\pm0.001\pm0.003 M_\odot, and R2=1.200±0.003±0.005RR_2 = 1.200\pm0.003\pm0.005 R_\odot. We either confirm or newly identify unusual characteristics of both stars in the binary: the primary star is found to be slightly hotter than the main sequence turn off and there is a more substantial discrepancy in its luminosity compared to models (model luminosities are too large by about 40%), while the secondary star is oversized and cooler compared to other main sequence stars in the same cluster. The evidence points to non-standard evolution for both stars, but most plausible paths cannot explain the low luminosity of the primary star. BD ++37 410 only has one eclipse per cycle, but extensive spectroscopic observations and the TESS light curve constrain the stellar masses well: M1=1.717±0.011MM_1 = 1.717\pm0.011 M_\odot and M2=1.175±0.005MM_2 = 1.175\pm0.005 M_\odot. The radius of the main sequence primary star near 2.9R2.9R_\odot definitively requires large convective core overshooting (>0.2> 0.2 pressure scale heights) in models for its mass, and multiple lines of evidence point toward an age of 1.61±0.03±0.051.61\pm0.03\pm0.05 Gyr (statistical and systematic uncertainties). Because NGC 752 is currently undergoing the transition from non-degenerate to degenerate He ignition of its red clump stars, BD ++37 410 A directly constrains the star mass where this transition occurs.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2210.11649,
  title  = {Evolved Eclipsing Binaries and the Age of the Open Cluster NGC 752},
  author = {Eric L. Sandquist and Andrew J. Buckner and Matthew D. Shetrone and Samuel C. Barden and Catherine A. Pilachowski and Constantine P. Deliyannis and Dianne Harmer and Robert Mathieu and Soren Meibom and Soren Frandsen and Jerome A. Orosz},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2210.11649},
  year   = {2022}
}

Comments

34 pages, 23 figures, accepted for Astronomical Journal