Bibcode
van Winckel, H.; Lloyd Evans, T.; Briquet, M.; De Cat, P.; Degroote, P.; De Meester, W.; De Ridder, J.; Deroo, P.; Desmet, M.; Drummond, R.; Eyer, L.; Groenewegen, M. A. T.; Kolenberg, K.; Kilkenny, D.; Ladjal, D.; Lefever, K.; Maas, T.; Marang, F.; Martinez, P.; Østensen, R. H.; Raskin, G.; Reyniers, M.; Royer, P.; Saesen, S.; Uytterhoeven, K.; Vanautgaerden, J.; Vandenbussche, B.; van Wyk, F.; Vučković, M.; Waelkens, C.; Zima, W.
Referencia bibliográfica
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 505, Issue 3, 2009, pp.1221-1232
Fecha de publicación:
10
2009
Revista
Número de citas
144
Número de citas referidas
108
Descripción
Context: The influence of binarity on the late stages of stellar
evolution remains an open issue. Aims: While the first binary
post-AGB stars were serendipitously discovered, the distinct
characteristics of their spectral energy distribution (SED) allowed us
to launch a more systematic search for binaries. We selected post-AGB
objects, which exhibit a broad dust excess starting either at H or K,
pointing to the presence of a gravitationally bound dusty disc in the
system. We initiated an extensive multiwavelength study of those systems
and here report on our radial velocity and photometric monitoring
results for six stars of early F type, which are pulsators of small
amplitude. Methods: To determine the radial velocity of low
signal-to-noise ratio time-series data, we constructed dedicated
autocorrelation masks based on high signal-to-noise ratio spectra, used
in our published chemical studies. The radial velocity variations were
analysed in detail to differentiate between pulsational variability and
variability caused by orbital motion. When available, the photometric
monitoring data were used to complement the time series of radial
velocity data and to establish the nature of the pulsation. Finally,
orbital minimalisation was performed to constrain the orbital elements.
Results: All of the six objects are binaries with orbital periods
ranging from 120 to 1800 days. Five systems have non-circular orbits.
The mass functions range from 0.004 to 0.57 M&sun; and the
companions are probably unevolved objects of (very) low initial mass. We
argue that these binaries must have evolved through a phase of strong
binary interaction when the primary was a cool supergiant. Although the
origin of the circumstellar disc is not well understood, the disc is
generally believed to have formed during this strong interaction phase.
The eccentric orbits of these highly evolved objects remain poorly
understood. In one object, the line-of-sight grazes the edge of the
puffed-up inner rim of the disc. Conclusions: These results
corroborate our earlier statement that evolved objects in binary stars
create a Keplerian dusty circumbinary disc. With the measured orbits and
mass functions, we conclude that the circumbinary discs seem to have a
major impact on the evolution of a significant fraction of binary
systems.
based on observations collected with the Flemish 1.2 m Mercator
telescope at Roque de los Muchachos (Spain), the Swiss 1.2 m Euler
telescope at La Silla (Chile) and the 0.5 m and 0.75 m telescopes at
SAAO (South-Africa).
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only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org
Postdoctoral fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research, Flanders.
Ph.D. student of the Fund for Scientific Research, Flanders.