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A. Tkachenko

Publications and source records attributed to A. Tkachenko.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The symphony of pulsations and binarity among massive stars using HERMES spectroscopy and TESS photometry

A wide range of variability mechanisms exist among intermediate mass and massive stars, which are not yet fully understood. Using complementary data sources for a large population of B- and O-type stars, we aim to study the prevalence and interplay of different types of variability, including binarity, pulsation, and rotation, to prepare for future modelling. To this end, we analyse high-resolution HERMES spectra and 2-min cadence TESS photometry and characterise the diverse variability observed within a population of 873 O- and B-type stars. The spectroscopic data were normalised using machine-learning techniques, compared to a grid of synthetic TLUSTY spectra to determine stellar parameters, and used to identify radial velocity variability. Photometric time series were analysed using standard frequency analysis methods to detect pulsations and rotational modulation signatures. We find that more than 93 per cent of the sample exhibits photometric variability. Photometric variability caused by pulsations is identified in 82 per cent of the sample, with dominant contributions from $\beta$ Cep and slowly pulsating B-type stars, as well as stochastic low-frequency variability. Based on a limited number of spectroscopic epochs, at least 14 per cent of the stars show evidence of binarity, including both eclipsing and spectroscopic systems. This work represents one of the largest homogeneous surveys of variability for intermediate-mass and massive stars in the Northern hemisphere, and complementing similar efforts in the Southern hemisphere. It provides a statistical framework for future studies of stellar structure and evolution, particularly in the context of asteroseismology.

astro-ph.SR

V446 Cephei: a $\beta$ Cep pulsator in a multiple system

$\beta$ Cep stars in eclipsing binary (EB) systems give us an opportunity to put observational constraints on their structure and stellar parameters. We present a comprehensive analysis of the $\beta$ Cep star in the EB V446 Cep, using \textit{TESS} photometry and HERMES spectra. We calculate the stellar and orbital parameters using light curve modelling and spectral disentangling. The EB has an orbital period of $3.808567 \pm 0.000012$ d and a mass ratio of $0.1550 \pm 0.0012$. We find the $\beta$ Cep star to have a mass of $10.68 \pm 0.06$ $\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$, a radius of $5.864 \pm 0.033$ $\mathrm{R}_{\odot}$, and a $T_{\rm eff}$ of $24220 \pm 180$ K. The secondary has a mass of $1.657 \pm 0.017$ $\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$, a radius of $1.530 \pm 0.014$ $\mathrm{R}_{\odot}$, and a $T_{\rm eff}$ of $9080 \pm 390$ K. We also extract the abundances of C, N, O, Mg, and Si for the $\beta$ Cep star, which are found to be consistent with galactic OB binaries. We identified 21 distinct pulsation frequencies, with the dominant mode at 10.24324 d$^{-1}$, which corresponds to a near-harmonic of the system's orbital frequency. The two stars in the EB have asynchronous rotation, with both stars rotating faster than the orbital frequency. We detect a companion to the EB using eclipse timing variations and period changes of the dominant pulsation frequency. We calculate the minimum mass of this tertiary companion to be $4.11 \pm 0.32$ $\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$ which is on an orbit of 2303$\pm$69 d around the EB. Using spectral energy distributions and MIST isochrones, we conclude that V446 Cep is either a co-evolving hierarchical 2+2 quadruple or a triple system where the third body is a compact object.

astro-ph.SR

Orbital and Physical Properties of the Pleiades Binary 27 Tau (Atlas)

We report new spectroscopic and interferometric observations of the Pleiades binary star Atlas, which played an important role nearly three decades ago in settling the debate over the distance to the cluster from ground-based and space-based determinations. We use the new measurements, together with other published and archival astrometric observations, to improve the determination of the 291-day orbit and the distance to Atlas ($136.2 \pm 1.4$ pc). We also derive the main properties of the components, including their absolute masses ($5.04 \pm 0.17 M_{\odot}$ and $3.64 \pm 0.12 M_{\odot}$), sizes, effective temperatures, projected rotational velocities, and chemical composition. We find that the more evolved primary star is rotationally distorted, and are able to estimate its oblateness and the approximate orientation of its spin axis from the interferometric observations. The spin axis may well be aligned with the orbital axis. Models of stellar evolution from MESA that account for rotation provide a good match to all of the primary's global properties, and point to an initial angular rotation rate on the zero-age main sequence of about 55% of the breakup velocity. The current location of the star in the H-R diagram is near the very end of the hydrogen-burning main sequence, at an age of about 105 Myr, according to these models. Our spectroscopic analysis of the more slowly-rotating secondary indicates that it is a helium-weak star, with other chemical anomalies.

astro-ph.SR

Inflight calibration of SRG/ART-XC point spread function at large off-axis angles

The knowledge of the point spread function (PSF) of the Mikhail Pavlinsky Astronomical Roentgen Telescope - X-ray Concentrator (ART-XC) telescope aboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) observatory plays an especially crucial role in the detection of point X-ray sources in the all-sky survey and the studies of extended X-ray objects with low surface brightness. In this work, we calibrate the far off-axis shape of the ART-XC PSF using in-flight data of Sco X-1 and the Crab Nebula, in all-sky survey or scan mode, respectively. We demonstrate that the so-called "slewing" ART-XC PSF (in contrast to the on-axis PSF), in convolution with the detector pixels, is consistent with ground calibration performed at the Marshall Space Flight Center, and can be used to model the PSF up to large off-axis distances in all-sky survey or scan modes. The radial profile of the Crab Nebula in the 4-12 keV band shows an extended structure out to ~150" and is consistent with Sco X-1 at larger off-axis angles. Finally, we performed an analytic parametrization of the slewing ART-XC PSF as a function of energy.

astro-ph.IM

The PLATO field selection process. II. Characterization of LOPS2, the first long-pointing field

PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO) is an ESA M-class mission to be launched by the end of 2026 to discover and characterize transiting planets around bright and nearby stars, and in particular habitable rocky planets hosted by solar-like stars. Over the mission lifetime, an average of 8% of the science data rate will be allocated to Guest Observer programs (GOs) selected by ESA through public calls, hence it is essential for the community to know in advance where the observing fields will be located. In a previous paper, we identified two preliminary long-pointing fields (LOPN1 and LOPS1) for PLATO, respectively in the northern and southern hemisphere. Here we present LOPS2, a slightly adjusted version of the southern field that has recently been selected by the PLATO Science Working Team as the first field to be observed by PLATO for at least two continuous years, following the scientific requirements. In this paper, we describe the astrophysical content of LOPS2 in detail, including known planetary systems, bright/variable/binary stars, clusters and synergies with other current and future facilities.

astro-ph.EP

MOCKA -- A PLATO mock asteroseismic catalogue: Simulations for gravity-mode oscillators

With ESA's PLATO space mission set for launch in December 2026, a new photometric legacy and a future of new scientific discoveries await. In this work we investigate PLATO's potential for observing pulsating stars across the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram as part of the PLATO Complimentary Science program (PLATO-CS). Specifically, a PLATO mock asteroseismic catalogue (MOCKA) of intermediate to massive stars is presented as a benchmark to highlight the asteroseismic yield of PLATO-CS in a quantitative way. MOCKA includes simulations of $\beta$~Cephei, slowly pulsating B (SPB), $\delta$~Scuti, $\gamma$~Doradus, RR Lyrae, Cepheid, hot subdwarf, and white dwarf stars. In particular, main-sequence gravity (g) mode pulsators are of interest as some of these stars form an important foundation for the scientific calibration of PLATO. MOCKA is based on a magnitude limited ($G\lesssim17$) \textit{Gaia} catalogue and is a product of realistic end-to-end \texttt{PlatoSim} simulations of stars for the first PLATO pointing field in the Southern hemisphere, which will be observed for a minimally 2-yr duration. We show that an abundant spectrum of frequencies is achievable across a wide range of magnitudes and co-pointing PLATO cameras. Within the magnitude limited regimes simulated ($G \lesssim 14$ for $\gamma$~Doradus stars and $G \lesssim 16$ for SPB stars) the dominant g-mode frequency is recovered in more than $95\%$ of the cases. MOCKA help us to understand the limits of the PLATO mission as well as highlight the opportunities to push astrophysics beyond current stellar models. All data products of this paper are made available to the community for further exploration. The key data products of MOCKA are the magnitude limited \textit{Gaia} catalogue of the first PLATO pointing field, together with fully reduced light curves from multi-camera observations for each pulsation class.

astro-ph.SR

HD 34736: An intensely magnetised double-lined spectroscopic binary with rapidly-rotating chemically peculiar B-type components

We report the results of a comprehensive study of the spectroscopic binary (SB2) system HD 34736 hosting two chemically peculiar (CP) late B-type stars. Using new and archival observational data, we characterise the system and its components, including their rotation and magnetic fields. Fitting of the radial velocities yields $P_\mathrm{orb}=83.\!^\mathrm{d}219(3)$ and $e=0.8103(3)$. The primary component is a CP He-wk star with $T_{\mathrm{eff}A}=13000\pm500$ K and $\upsilon_\mathrm{e}\sin i\;=75\pm3$ km/s, while the secondary exhibits variability of Mg and Si lines, and has $T_{\mathrm{eff}B}=11500\pm1000$ K and $\upsilon_\mathrm{e}\sin i=110$-180 km/s. TESS and KELT photometry reveal clear variability of the primary component with a rotational period $P_{\mathrm{rot}A}=1.\!^\mathrm{d}279\,988\,5(11)$, which is lengthening at a rate of $1.26(6)$ s/yr. For the secondary, $P_{\mathrm{rot}B}=0.\!^\mathrm{d}522\,693\,8(5)$, reducing at a rate of $-0.14(3)$ s/yr. The longitudinal component $\langle B_\mathrm{z}\rangle$ of the primary's strongly asymmetric global magnetic field varies from $-6$ to +5 kG. Weak spectropolarimetric evidence of a magnetic field is found for the secondary star. The observed X-ray and radio emission of HD 34736 may equally be linked to a suspected T Tau-like companion or magnetospheric emission from the principal components. Given the presence of a possible third magnetically active body, one can propose that the magnetic characteristics of the protostellar environment may be connected to the formation of such systems.

astro-ph.SR

Statistical view of orbital circularisation with 14 000 characterised TESS eclipsing binaries

Eclipsing binaries are crucial for understanding stellar physics, allowing detailed studies of stellar masses, radii, and orbital dynamics. Recent space missions like the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) have significantly expanded the catalogue of observed eclipsing binaries with uninterrupted time series photometry, providing an opportunity for large-scale ensemble studies. This study aims to analyse the statistical properties of circularisation in a large sample of intermediate-to-high mass eclipsing binaries observed by TESS. We explore the dependence of orbital circularisation on stellar properties and orbital parameters to improve our understanding of the physical processes affecting these systems. We further aim to assess the role of stellar pulsations in circularisation. We compiled a catalogue of O- to F-type stars to search for eclipsing binary signals in the TESS data. Using automated classification and data analysis methodologies, we arrive at a well-characterised sample of 14,573 eclipsing binaries. We investigate the statistical characteristics of the sample as a function of temperature, orbital period, and scaled orbital separation. The orbital circularisation was measured with statistical methods to obtain three distinct measurements of the critical period and separation in four temperature ranges. Pulsations were identified in the g- and p-mode regimes and a reduced fraction of eccentric systems was found among them. Our analysis confirmed and expanded upon previous findings that additional dissipation is needed as compared to the predictions of turbulent viscosity and non-resonant radiative damping. We speculate that pulsations may play a role in the circularisation of close binaries. Our study highlights the need for dissipative mechanisms that can produce a wide range of critical periods from a range of initial conditions.

astro-ph.SR

SRG/ART-XC all-sky X-ray survey: Catalog of sources detected during the first five surveys

We present an updated catalog of sources detected by the Mikhail Pavlinsky ART-XC telescope aboard the Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) observatory during its all-sky survey. It is based on the data of the first four and the partially completed fifth scans of the sky (ARTSS1-5). The catalog comprises 1545 sources detected in the 4-12 keV energy band. The achieved sensitivity ranges between $\sim 4\times 10^{-12}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ near the ecliptic plane and $\sim 7\times 10^{-13}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ near the ecliptic poles, which is a $\sim$30-50% improvement over the previous version of the catalog based on the first two all-sky scans (ARTSS12). There are $\sim 130$ objects, excluding the expected contribution of spurious detections, that were not known as X-ray sources before the SRG/ART-XC all-sky survey. We provide information, partly based on our ongoing follow-up optical spectroscopy program, on the identification and classification of the majority of the ARTSS1-5 sources (1463), of which 173 are tentative at the moment. The majority of the classified objects (964) are extragalactic, a small fraction (30) are located in the Local Group of galaxies, and 469 are Galactic. The dominant classes of objects in the catalog are active galactic nuclei (911) and cataclysmic variables (192).

astro-ph.HE

SRG/ART-XC Galactic Bulge deep survey. I. Maximum likelihood source detection algorithm for X-ray surveys

We describe an X-ray source detection method entirely based on the maximum likelihood analysis, in application to observations with the ART-XC telescope onboard the Spectrum Roentgen Gamma observatory. The method optimally combines the data taken at different conditions, a situation commonly found in scanning surveys or mosaic observations with a telescope with a significant off-axis PSF distortion. The method can be naturally extended to include additional information from the X-ray photon energies, detector grades, etc. The likelihood-based source detection naturally results in a stable and uniform definition of detection thresholds under different observing conditions (PSF, background level). This greatly simplifies the statistical calibration of the survey needed to, e.g., obtain the $\log N - \log S$ distribution of detected sources or their luminosity function. The method can be applied to the data from any imaging X-ray telescope.

astro-ph.HE

Observational mapping of the mass discrepancy in eclipsing binaries: Selection of the sample and its photometric and spectroscopic properties

Abridged. Eclipsing spectroscopic double-lined binaries are the prime source of precise and accurate measurements of masses and radii of stars. These measurements provide a stringent test of models of stellar evolution that are persistently reported to contain major shortcomings. The mass discrepancy observed for the eclipsing spectroscopic double-lined binaries is one of the manifestations of shortcomings in stellar evolution models. Our ultimate goal is to provide an observational mapping of the mass discrepancy and propose a recipe for its solution. We initiate a spectroscopic monitoring campaign of 573 candidate eclipsing binaries of which 83 are analysed in this work with the methods of least-squares deconvolution and spectral disentangling. TESS light curves are used to provide photometric classification of the systems according to the type of their intrinsic variability. We confirm 69 systems as either spectroscopic binaries or higher-order multiple systems. Twelve stars are classified as single and two more objects are found at the interface of their line profile variability being interpreted as due to binarity and intrinsic variability of the star. Moreover, 20 eclipsing binaries are found to contain at least one component that exhibits stellar oscillations. The sample presented in this work contains both detached and semi-detached systems and covers a range in the effective temperature and mass of the star of Teff = [7000,30000] K and M = [1.5,15] M_Sun, respectively. We conclude an appreciable capability of the spectral disentangling method to deliver precise and accurate spectroscopic orbital elements from as few as 6-8 orbital phase-resolved spectroscopic observations. Orbital solutions obtained this way are accurate enough to deliver age estimates with accuracy of 10% or better, an important resource for calibration of stellar evolution models.

astro-ph.SR

MELCHIORS: The Mercator Library of High Resolution Stellar Spectroscopy

Over the past decades, libraries of stellar spectra have been used in a large variety of science cases, including as sources of reference spectra for a given object or a given spectral type. Despite the existence of large libraries and the increasing number of projects of large-scale spectral surveys, there is to date only one very high-resolution spectral library offering spectra from a few hundred objects from the southern hemisphere (UVES-POP) . We aim to extend the sample, offering a finer coverage of effective temperatures and surface gravity with a uniform collection of spectra obtained in the northern hemisphere. Between 2010 and 2020, we acquired several thousand echelle spectra of bright stars with the Mercator-HERMES spectrograph located in the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma, whose pipeline offers high-quality data reduction products. We have also developed methods to correct for the instrumental response in order to approach the true shape of the spectral continuum. Additionally, we have devised a normalisation process to provide a homogeneous normalisation of the full spectral range for most of the objects. We present a new spectral library consisting of 3256 spectra covering 2043 stars. It combines high signal-to-noise and high spectral resolution over the entire range of effective temperatures and luminosity classes. The spectra are presented in four versions: raw, corrected from the instrumental response, with and without correction from the atmospheric molecular absorption, and normalised (including the telluric correction).

astro-ph.SR

Hard X-rays and QPO in Swift J1727.8-1613: the rise and plateau of the 2023 outburst

We report on the detection of type-C quasi-periodic oscillations during the initial stages of the outburst of Swift J1727.8-1613 in 2023. Using data of the INTEGRAL observatory along with the data of the SRG/ART-XC and Swift/XRT telescopes the fast growth of the QPO frequency was traced. We present a hard X-ray lightcurve that covers the initial stages of the 2023 outburst - the fast rise and plateau - and demonstrate that the QPO frequency was stable during the plateau. The switching from type-C to type-B QPO was detected with the beginning of the source flaring activity. We have constructed a broad-band spectrum of Swift J1727.8-1613 and found an additional hard power-law spectral component extending at least up to 400 keV. Finally, we have obtained an upper limit on the hard X-ray flux at the beginning of the optical outburst and estimated the delay of the X-ray outburst with respect to the optical one.

astro-ph.HE

PlatoSim: An end-to-end PLATO camera simulator for modelling high-precision space-based photometry

PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO) is the ESA M3 space mission dedicated to detect and characterise transiting exoplanets including information from the asteroseismic properties of their stellar hosts. The uninterrupted and high-precision photometry provided by space-borne instruments such as PLATO require long preparatory phases. An exhaustive list of tests are paramount to design a mission that meets the performance requirements, and as such, simulations are an indispensable tool in the mission preparation. To accommodate PLATO's need of versatile simulations prior to mission launch - that at the same time describe accurately the innovative but complex multi-telescope design - we here present the end-to-end PLATO simulator specifically developed for the purpose, namely PlatoSim. We show step-by-step the algorithms embedded into the software architecture of PlatoSim that allow the user to simulate photometric time series of CCD images and light curves in accordance to the expected observations of PLATO. In the context of the PLATO payload, a general formalism of modelling, end-to-end, incoming photons from the sky to the final measurement in digital units is discussed. We show the strong predictive power of PlatoSim through its diverse applicability and contribution to numerous working groups within the PLATO Mission Consortium. This involves the on-going mechanical integration and alignment, performance studies of the payload, the pipeline development and assessments of the scientific goals. PlatoSim is a state-of-the-art simulator that is able to produce the expected photometric observations of PLATO to a high level of accuracy. We demonstrate that PlatoSim is a key software tool for the PLATO mission in the preparatory phases until mission launch and prospectively beyond.

astro-ph.IM

A search for magnetic $\delta$ Scuti stars in Kepler hybrid candidates

Numerous candidate hybrid stars of type $\delta$ Scuti - $\gamma$ Doradus have been identified with the Kepler satellite. However, many of them lie outside the theoretically expected instability strip for hybrid pulsation, where $\delta$ Sct and $\gamma$ Dor pulsations can be simultaneously excited. We postulate that some of these pulsating stars may not be genuine hybrid pulsators but rather magnetic $\delta$ Sct stars, for which the rotational modulation from spots on the surface associated to the magnetic field produces frequencies in the same domain as $\gamma$ Dor pulsations. We search for the presence of a magnetic field in a small sample of selected hybrid $\delta$ Sct - $\gamma$ Dor stars using spectropolarimetry. At the time of observations, the only $\delta$ Sct star known to have a magnetic field was HD 188774 with a field strength of a few hundred Gauss. Our observations were thus tailored to detect fields of this typical strength. We find no magnetic field in the hybrid candidate stars we observed. However, two of the three other magnetic $\delta$ Sct stars discovered since these observations have much weaker fields than HD 188774, and are of dynamo origin rather than fossil fields. It is likely that our observations are not sensitive enough to detect such dynamo magnetic fields in the cooler stars of our sample if they are present. This work nevertheless provides reliable upper limits on possible fossil fields in the hotter stars, pointing towards typically weaker fields in $\delta$ Sct stars than in OBA stars in general.

astro-ph.SR

Properties of the extremely energetic GRB~221009A from Konus-WIND and SRG/ART-XC observations

We report on Konus-Wind (KW) and Mikhail Pavlinsky ART-XC telescope observations and analysis of a nearby GRB 221009A, the brightest $\gamma$-ray burst (GRB) detected by KW for $>$28 years of observations. The prompt, pulsed phase of the burst emission lasts for $\sim 600$ s and is followed by a steady power-law decay lasting for more than 25 ks. From the analysis of the KW and ART-XC light curves and the KW spectral data we derive time-averaged spectral peak energy of the burst $E_p\approx 2.6$ MeV, $E_p$ at the brightest emission peak $\approx 3.0$ MeV, the total 20 keV--10 MeV energy fluence of $\approx0.22$ erg cm$^{-2}$, and the peak energy flux in the same band of $\approx 0.03$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. The enormous observed fluence and peak flux imply, at redshift $z=0.151$, huge values of isotropic energy release $E_{\mathrm{iso}}\approx1.2\times10^{55}$ erg (or $\gtrsim 6.5$ solar rest mass) and isotropic peak luminosity $L_{\mathrm{iso}}\approx3.4\times10^{54}$ erg s$^{-1}$ (64 ms scale), making GRB 221009A the most energetic and one the most luminous bursts observed since the beginning of the GRB cosmological era in 1997. The isotropic energetics of the burst fit nicely both "Amati" and "Yonetoku" hardness-intensity correlations for $>$300 KW long GRBs, implying that GRB~221009A is most likely a very hard, super-energetic version of a "normal" long GRB.

astro-ph.HE

High-mass eclipsing binaries: a testbed for models of interior structure and evolution -- Accurate fundamental properties and surface chemical composition for V1034 Sco, GL Car, V573 Car and V346 Cen

The surface chemical compositions of stars are affected by physical processes which bring the products of thermonuclear burning to the surface. Despite their potential in understanding the structure and evolution of stars, elemental abundances are available for only a few high-mass binary stars. We aim to enlarge this sample by determining the physical properties and photospheric abundances for four eclipsing binary systems containing high-mass stars: V1034 Sco, GL Car, V573 Car and V346 Cen. The components have masses 8-17 Msun and effective temperatures from 22500 to 32200 K, and are all on the main sequence. We present new high-resolution and high signal-to-noise spectroscopy from HARPS, and analyse them using spectral disentangling and NLTE spectral synthesis. We model existing light curves and new photometry from the TESS satellite, We measure the stellar masses to 0.6-2.0 percent precision, radii to 0.8-1.7 percent precision, effective temperatures to 1.1-1.6 percent precision, and abundances of C, N, O, Mg and Si. The abundances are similar to those found in our previous studies of high-mass eclipsing binaries; our sample now comprises 25 high-mass stars in 13 binary systems. We also find tidally-excited pulsations in V346 Cen. We reinforce our previous conclusions: interior chemical element transport is not as efficient in binary star components as in their single-star counterparts in the same mass regime and evolutionary stage, possibly due to the effects of tidal forces. Our ultimate goal is to provide a larger sample of OB-type stars in binaries which would enable a thorough comparison to stellar evolutionary models, as well as to single high-mass stars.

astro-ph.SR

KIC 7955301: a hierarchical triple system with eclipse timing variations and an oscillating red giant

KIC 7955301 is a hierarchical triple system with eclipse timing and depth variations discovered by the Kepler mission. It is composed of a non-eclipsing primary star at the bottom of the red giant branch on a 209-day orbit with a K/G-type main-sequence inner eclipsing binary, orbiting in 15.3 days. This system was noted for the large amplitude of its eclipse timing variations (4 hours), and the clear solar-like oscillations of the red-giant component, including p-modes of degree up to l=3 and mixed l=1 modes. The system is a single-lined spectroscopic triple. We perform a dynamical model by combining the Kepler photometric data, eclipse timing variations, and radial-velocity data obtained at Apache Point (ARCES) and Haute Provence (SOPHIE) observatories. The dynamical mass of the red-giant is determined with a 2% precision at 1.30 (+0.03,-0.02) solar mass. We perform asteroseismic modeling based on the global seismic parameters and on the individual frequencies. Both methods lead to a mass of the red giant that matches the dynamical mass within the uncertainties. Asteroseismology also reveals the rotation rate of the core (15 days), the envelope (150 days), and the inclination (75 deg) of the red giant. Three different approaches lead to an age between 3.3 and 5.8 Gyr, which highlights the difficulty of determining stellar ages despite the exceptional wealth of available information. On short timescales, the inner binary exhibits eclipses with varying depths during a 7.3-year long interval, and no eclipses during the consecutive 11.9 years. This is why Kepler could detect its eclipses, TESS will not, and the future ESA PLATO mission should. Over the long term, the system owes its evolution to the evolution of its individual components. It could end its current smooth evolution by merging by the end of the red giant or the asymptotic giant branch of the primary star.

astro-ph.SR