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Eclipsing Binary Stars in Open Clusters

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Eclipsing Binary Stars in Open Clusters Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 000, 000–000 (0000) Printed 11 April 2006 (MN LATEX style file v2.2) Eclipsing binary stars in open clusters J. K. Taylor Department of Chemistry and Physics, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK Submitted for postgraduate research degree qualification on 3rd February 2005 This is not the version which was accepted on 1st March 2006 ABSTRACT The study of detached eclipsing binary stars allows accurate absolute masses, radii and luminosities to be measured for two stars of the same chemical composition, dis- tance and age. These data can provide a good test of theoretical stellar evolutionary models, aid the investigation of the properties of peculiar stars, and allow the distance to the eclipsing system to be found using empirical methods. Detached eclipsing bi- naries which are members of open clusters provide a more powerful test of theoretical models, which must match the properties of the eclipsing system whilst simultaneously predicting the morphology of the cluster in photometric diagrams. They also allow the distance and the metal abundance of the cluster to be found, avoiding problems with fitting empirical or theoretical isochrones in colour-magnitude diagrams. Absolute dimensions have been found for V615 Per and V618 Per, which are eclips- ing members of the h Persei open cluster. This has allowed the fractional metal abun- dance of the cluster to be measured to be Z ≈ 0.01, in disagreement with the solar chemical composition often assumed in the literature. Accurate absolute dimensions (masses to 1.4%, radii to 1.1% and effective temper- atures to within 800 K) have been measured for V453 Cygni, a member of NGC 6871. The current generation of theoretical stellar models can successfully match these prop- erties, as well as the central concentration of mass of the primary star as derived from a study of the apsidal motion of the system. A Monte Carlo analysis technique has been implemented to determine robust uncertainties in the results of the photometric analysis of detached eclipsing binaries. The B-type subgiant eclipsing system V621 Per, a member of the open cluster χ Persei, which is related to h Persei, has been studied. The absolute dimensions of the system have not been measured as the secondary star is not detectable in our spectroscopic observations, but have been inferred from a comparison with theoretical models. The secondary star should be detectable in very high-quality spectra, in which case further study of this system will be very rewarding. Absolute dimensions have been determined for HD 23642, an eclipsing member of the Pleiades open cluster. This has allowed an investigation into the usefulness of different methods to find the distances to eclipsing binaries. A new method has been introduced, based on calibrations between surface brightness and effective tempera- ture, and used to find an accurate distance to the Pleiades of 139 ± 4 pc. This value is in good agreement with other distance measurements but does not agree with the con- troversial distance measurement derived from parallaxes obtained by the Hipparcos satellite. The metallic-lined eclipsing binary WW Aur has been studied using extensive new spectroscopy and published light curves. The masses and radii have been found, to accuracies of 0.4% and 0.6% respectively, using entirely empirical methods. The effective temperatures of both stars have been found using a method which is almost fundamental. The predictions of theoretical models can only match the properties of WW Aur by adopting a large metal abundance of Z = 0.060 ± 0.005. °c 0000 RAS 2 J. K. Taylor 1 Stellar properties . 3 8.3 Dynamical characteristics of open clusters. .42 1.1 Spectral classification . 3 9 The galactic and extragalactic distance scale . 42 1.2 Brightness and distance . 3 9.1 Parallax-based distances to stars . 42 1.2.1 Interstellar extinction . 4 9.1.1 Trigonometrical parallax . 42 1.3 Stellar characteristics . 5 9.1.2 Spectroscopic and photometric parallax . 43 1.3.1 Stellar interferometry . 5 9.2 Distances to binary stars. .43 1.3.2 The effective temperature scale . 5 9.2.1 Visual binaries . 43 1.3.3 Teff s and angular diameters from the IRFM . 6 9.2.2 Eclipsing binaries . 43 1.3.4 Stellar chemical compositions . 6 9.3 Variable stars as standard candles . 43 1.3.5 Bolometric corrections . 7 9.3.1 δ Cepheid variables . 43 1.3.6 Surface brightness relations . 7 9.3.2 RR Lyrae variables . 43 1.4 Limb darkening . 9 9.3.3 Type Ia supernovae. 44 1.4.1 Limb darkening laws . 10 9.4 Distances to stellar clusters . 44 1.4.2 Limb darkening and eclipsing binaries . 11 9.5 The Galactic and extragalactic distance scale . 44 1.5 Gravity darkening . 11 10 Obtaining and reducing astronomical data . 45 2 Stellar evolution . 12 10.1 Telescopes . 45 2.1 The evolution of single stars . 12 10.1.1 Optical aberration . 45 2.1.1 The formation of stars . 12 10.2 Charge-coupled devices . 45 2.1.2 Main sequence evolution . 13 10.2.1 Advantages and disadvantages of CCDs . 46 2.1.3 The evolution of low-mass stars . 13 10.2.2 Reduction of CCD data . 46 2.1.4 The evolution of intermediate-mass stars . 13 10.2.3 Debiassing CCD images . 46 2.1.5 The evolution of massive stars . 14 10.2.4 Flat-fielding CCD images . 47 3 Modelling of stars . 14 10.2.5 Photometry from CCD images . 47 3.1 Physical phenomena in models . 14 10.2.6 Aperture photometry . 47 3.1.1 Equation of state . 14 10.2.7 Point spread function photometry . 48 3.1.2 Opacity . 14 10.2.8 Optimal photometry . 48 3.1.3 Energy transport . 14 10.3 Grating spectrographs . 48 3.1.4 Convective core overshooting . 15 10.3.1 Reduction of CCD grating spectra . 48 3.1.5 Convective efficiency . 16 10.4 Echelle´ spectrographs . 49 3.1.6 The effect of stellar rotation . 16 10.5 Observational procedures for the study of dEBs . 49 3.1.7 The effect of mass loss . 16 10.5.1 CCD photometry . 49 3.1.8 The effect of diffusion . 17 10.5.2 Grating spectroscopy. .49 3.1.9 The effect of magnetic fields. .17 11 Determination of spectroscopic orbits . 50 3.2 Available theoretical stellar models . 17 11.1 The equations of spectroscopic orbits . 50 3.2.1 Hejlesen theoretical models. .17 11.2 The fundamental concept of radial velocity . 50 3.2.2 Granada theoretical models . ..
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