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arXiv · 2604.26606

The IACOB project: XVII. Nitrogen abundances in Galactic O-type stars: further hints for separating binary-interaction products from effectively single stars

C. Martínez-Sebastián·G. Holgado·S. Simón-Díaz·F. Martins·J. Puls
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Abstract

Context. Growing evidence is revealing the crucial role of binarity in massive star evolution. This affects evolution models and demands a refinement of the available observational constraints. Aims. To investigate the possible evolutionary origins of a sample of 117 Galactic O-type stars with luminosity classes V to III and projected rotational velocities below 150 ${\rm km}\,{\rm s}^{-1}$. Methods: We extend previous quantitative spectroscopic analyses performed within the framework of the IACOB project and obtain N abundance estimates. We investigate correlations between these abundances and other stellar parameters. As a reference, we use predictions from single-star evolution models computed using different physical prescriptions. Results. We identify differences in the N abundance distributions corresponding to three He abundance regimes (He-low, He-normal, and He-rich). For the He-normal group, the N abundance distribution peaks slightly above the expected birth value and extends up to $\epsilon_{\rm N}$=8.4 dex. For these stars, we find overall agreement with single-star evolutionary models that include efficient internal mixing and assume moderate-to-low initial rotation. In contrast, the He-rich group exhibits a bimodal N abundance distribution, with one peak at $\sim$8.1 dex and a second more enriched peak around $\sim$8.5 dex; none of these stars are consistent with predictions from single-star evolutionary models. We argue that He-rich stars are most plausibly explained as binary products. Furthermore, despite N abundance in He-normal stars with LC IV and V are reproduced by single stellar evolutionary models with efficient mixing, the same models predict a higher N abundance than observed for stars with LC III. This indicates that rotational mixing alone is unable to explain the observed distribution of N abundances among stars with normal He abundances.

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C. Martínez-Sebastián, G. Holgado, S. Simón-Díaz, F. Martins, J. Puls. 2026-04-29. The IACOB project: XVII. Nitrogen abundances in Galactic O-type stars: further hints for separating binary-interaction products from effectively single stars. https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.26606

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