arXiv subjects

Julia Bodensteiner

Publications and source records attributed to Julia Bodensteiner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): massive star variability revealed using a novel software tool for point-spread function fitting of TESS images

Massive stars, the progenitors of neutron stars and black holes, play a crucial role in shaping the chemical and radiative properties of entire galaxies through their winds and explosive deaths. Stellar pulsations are a common phenomenon in massive stars and asteroseismology -- the study of such pulsations -- provides crucial constraints on the physics of massive star interiors. The excitation of heat-driven pulsations in massive stars is expected to depend on a star's metallicity, but this remains largely uncalibrated in evolution models due to a lack of a sufficient observations. While TESS has dramatically improved the statistics for Galactic massive stars, obtaining TESS light curves for low-metallicity massive stars beyond the Milky Way is challenging, due to their faintness and heavy crowding. In this paper, we present a novel point-spread function (PSF) based light curve extraction method called {\sc Lemons}, which overcomes these challenges. We also demonstrate the limitations of the often-used simple aperture photometry (SAP) method that can provide heavily contaminated light curves. With this new technique, accurate light curves of 91 SMC massive stars in the BLOeM sample are extracted. They reveal a variety of variability types including indications of binarity (e.g. eclipses and ellipsoidal modulation) and stellar pulsations. They also enable us to investigate stochastic low-frequency (SLF) variability for massive stars in the SMC. Furthermore we demonstrate how the morphology of SLF variability probes a star's location in the Hertzsprung--Russell diagram, which appears similar to Galactic massive stars thus indicating that the underlying physical mechanism could be insensitive to metallicity.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Population synthesis of Be X-ray binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud: Angular momentum recycling and stable mass transfer

Be X-ray binaries (BeXRBs) are key laboratories to constrain binary interaction processes such as mass transfer, angular-momentum transport, and natal kicks. The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), hosting a nearly complete and well-characterized BeXRB population, offers a unique opportunity to test these physical processes at low metallicity. We aim to identify the combination of binary-evolution parameters that simultaneously reproduces the observed number and the joint distribution of orbital period and optical magnitude of SMC BeXRBs. We performed an extensive grid analysis of binary population-synthesis models exploring different mass transfer efficiencies, angular-momentum transport prescriptions and Roche-lobe overflow stability criteria. We also considered the impact of natal kicks, and that of the propeller effect of rotating magnetic fields of neutron stars. Synthetic populations obtained with the binary population synthesis code $\texttt{sevn}$ are statistically compared to observations using likelihood-based methods applied to the orbital period and $V$-band magnitude distributions, together with requirements on the total number of systems. We find that models in which mass transfer via Roche-lobe overflow is assumed to be always stable and angular momentum is recycled back into the orbit through tides when the accretor approaches critical rotation provide the best match to observations. Our best-fitting models favor low natal kicks ($\lesssim 100\ \rm km\ s^{-1}$), a moderate mass transfer efficiency ($f_{\rm MT} \simeq 0.6$), a minimum Be threshold spin close to critical rotation, and a strong suppression of accretion onto neutron stars due to the propeller effect. Specifically, the observable population is highly sensitive to the treatment of the propeller effect, which regulates the X-ray luminosity of wide, low-accretion-rate systems.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Ultraviolet spectroscopy reveals a hot and luminous companion to the Be star+black hole candidate MWC 656

The Galactic Be star binary MWC 656 was long considered the only known Be star+black hole (BH) system, making it a critical benchmark for models of massive binary evolution and for the expected X-ray emission of Be+BH binaries. However, recent dynamical measurements cast doubt on the presence of a BH companion. We present new multi-epoch ultraviolet spectroscopy from the Hubble Space Telescope, combined with high-resolution optical spectra, to reassess the nature of the companion. The far-ultraviolet spectra reveal high-ionisation features -- including prominent N v and He ii lines -- which are absent in the spectra of normal Be stars and are indicative of a hot, luminous companion. Spectral modelling shows that these features cannot originate from the Be star or from an accretion disc around a compact object. Instead, we find that the data are best explained by a hot ($T_\mathrm{eff} \approx 85$ kK), compact, hydrogen-deficient star with strong wind signatures, consistent with an intermediate-mass stripped star. Our revised orbital solution and composite spectroscopic modelling yield a companion mass of $M_2 = 1.48^{+0.55}_{-0.46}\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$, definitively ruling out a BH and disfavouring a white dwarf. MWC 656 thus joins the growing class of Be+stripped star binaries. The system's unusual properties -- including a high companion temperature and wind strength -- extend the known parameter space of such binaries. The continued absence of confirmed OBe+BH binaries in the Galaxy highlights a growing tension with population synthesis models.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

The Triple System V1371 Tau: An Eclipsing Binary with an Outer Be Star

Although triple systems are common, their orbital dynamics and stellar evolution remain poorly understood. We investigated the V1371 Tau system using TESS photometry, multi-epoch spectroscopy, and recent interferometric data, confirming it as a rare triple system consisting of an eclipsing binary orbited by a classical Be star, with a spectral classification of (B1V + B0V) + B0Ve. The eclipsing binary exhibits an orbital period of approximately 34 days, and the Be star orbits the inner pair on a timescale of a few years. Weak H$\alpha$ emission lines suggest the presence of a Keplerian disk with variability on a timescale of months around the Be star, and a nearly constant V/R ratio with no detectable asymmetry variations. Besides the eclipses, frequencies at 0.24 and 0.26 c/d dominate the photometric variability. Higher-frequency signals are present which appear associated with non-radial pulsation. The eclipsing pair ($i \approx 90^\circ$) shows projected rotational velocities of 160 and 200 km s$^{-1}$. The Be star's measured $v \sin i \approx 250$ km s$^{-1}$ implies a critical rotation fraction between 0.44 and 0.76 for plausible inclinations, significantly faster than the eclipsing components. The shallower eclipses in the KELT data compared to TESS suggest a variation in orbital inclination, possibly induced by Kozai-Lidov cycles from the outer Be star. The evolution analysis suggests that all components are massive main-sequence stars, with the secondary star in the eclipsing binary being overluminous. This study emphasizes the complexity of triple systems with Be stars and provides a basis for future research on their formation, evolution, and dynamics.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Characterisation of B-type stars in four young Galactic open clusters. I. Stellar content and binary properties

Multiplicity among massive stars represents a major uncertainty in stellar evolution theory, because the extra physical processes that it introduces significantly impacts each star's structure. While multiplicity of O-type stars is fairly well constrained, for B-type stars it is not. B-type stars are more common and have longer lifetimes, thus providing an opportunity to characterize multiplicity at different ages. Moreover, young open clusters are advantageous for studying coeval and chemically homogeneous environments. Using a multi-epoch spectroscopic campaign with the HERMES spectrograph we determine multiplicity properties and rotation rates of 74 B-type stars in four Galactic open clusters: $h$ and $\chi$ Persei, NGC 457, NGC 581, and NGC 1960. We measure radial velocities with a cross-correlation method and determine tentative orbital solutions for 26 of the 28 identified binaries. We detect several Be stars, five of them being members of binary systems. We correct the observed binary fractions for observational biases and determine an average intrinsic binary fraction of 79$_{-16}^{+19}\%$. The consistency in binary fraction among the four clusters, which are between 15 and 30 Myr, suggests a reasonably homogenous binary fraction across this age range. We used TLUSTY atmosphere models to determine the projected rotational velocities, with an average value of 240 km s$^{-1}$ for both single and binary systems. Whereas, the Be stars show higher velocities between 200 and 360 km s$^{-1}$.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

HIP 15429: A newborn Be star on an eccentric binary orbit

We identified a new post-interaction binary, HIP 15429, consisting of a stripped star and a recently formed, rapidly rotating Be star companion ($v \sin i \approx 270$ km/s) sharing many similarities with recently identified bloated stripped stars. From orbital fitting of multi-epoch radial velocities we find a 221-day period. We also find an eccentricity of $e=0.52$, which is unexpectedly high as tides are expected to have circularised the orbit efficiently during the presumed recent mass transfer. The formation of a circumbinary disk during the mass transfer phase or the presence of an unseen tertiary companion might explain the orbit's high eccentricity. We determined physical parameters for both stars by fitting the spectra of the disentangled binary components and multi-band photometry. The stripped nature of the donor star is affirmed by its high luminosity at a low inferred mass ($\lesssim 1 \mathrm{M}_\odot$) and imprints of CNO-processed material in the surface abundances. The donor's relatively large radius and cool temperature ($T_{\mathrm{eff}} = 13.5 \pm 0.5$ kK) suggest that it has only recently ceased mass transfer. Evolutionary models assuming a 5-6 $\mathrm{M}_\odot$ progenitor can reproduce these parameters and imply that the binary is currently evolving towards a stage where the donor becomes a subdwarf orbiting a Be star. The remarkably high eccentricity of HIP 15429 challenges standard tidal evolution models, suggesting either inefficient tidal dissipation or external influences, such as a tertiary companion or circumbinary disk. This underscores the need to identify and characterise more post-mass transfer binaries to benchmark and refine theoretical models of binary evolution.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Using detailed single star and binary evolution models to probe the large observed luminosity spread of red supergiants in young open star clusters

Red supergiants (RSGs) represent a late evolutionary stage of massive stars. Recent observations reveal that the observed luminosity range of RSGs in young open clusters is wider than expected from single star evolution models. Binary evolution effects have been suggested as a possible explanation. Here, we analyse 3670 detailed binary-evolution models, as well as corresponding single-star models, to probe the contribution of binary mass transfer and binary mergers on the luminosity distribution of RSGs in star clusters with ages up to 100 Myr. We confirm that the expected luminosity range of RSGs in a coeval population can span a factor of ten, as a consequence of mergers between two main-sequence stars, which reproduces the observed red supergiant luminosity ranges in rich clusters well. While the luminosity increase as consequence of mass transfer is more limited, it may help to increase the number of overluminous RSGs. However, our results also demonstrate that binary effects alone are insufficient to account for the number of RSGs found with luminosities of up to three times those predicted by current single-star models. We discuss observational accuracy, rotational mixing, age spread, and intrinsic RSG variability as possible explanations. Further observations of RSGs in young open clusters, in particular studies of their intrinsic brightness variability, appear crucial for disentangling these effects.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Stripped helium-star and compact object binaries in coeval populations -- predictions based on detailed binary evolution models

Massive stars mainly form in close binaries, where their mutual interactions can profoundly alter their evolutionary paths. Evolved binaries consisting of a massive OB-type main-sequence star with a stripped helium star or a compact companion represent a crucial stage in the evolution towards double compact objects, whose mergers are (potentially) detectable via gravitational waves. The recent detection of X-ray quiet OB+black hole binaries and OB+stripped helium star binaries has set the stage for discovering more of these systems in the near future. In this work, based on 3670 detailed binary-evolution models and using empirical distributions of initial binary parameters, we compute the expected population of such evolved massive binaries in coeval stellar populations, including stars in star clusters and in galaxies with starburst activities, for ages up to 100 Myr. Our results are vividly illustrated in an animation that shows the evolution of these binaries in the color-magnitude diagram over time. We find that the number of OB+black hole binaries peaks around 10 Myr, and OB+neutron star binaries are most abundant at approximately 20 Myr. Both black holes and neutron stars can potentially be found in populations with ages up to 90 Myr. Additionally, we analyze the properties of such binaries at specific ages. We find that OB+helium stars and OB+black hole binaries are likely to be identifiable as single-lined spectroscopic binaries. Our research serves as a guide for future observational efforts to discover such binaries in young star clusters and starburst environments.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

The Wide-field Spectroscopic Telescope (WST) Science White Paper

The Wide-field Spectroscopic Telescope (WST) is proposed as a new facility dedicated to the efficient delivery of spectroscopic surveys. This white paper summarises the initial concept as well as the corresponding science cases. WST will feature simultaneous operation of a large field-of-view (3 sq. degree), a high multiplex (20,000) multi-object spectrograph (MOS) and a giant 3x3 sq. arcmin integral field spectrograph (IFS). In scientific capability these requirements place WST far ahead of existing and planned facilities. Given the current investment in deep imaging surveys and noting the diagnostic power of spectroscopy, WST will fill a crucial gap in astronomical capability and work synergistically with future ground and space-based facilities. This white paper shows that WST can address outstanding scientific questions in the areas of cosmology; galaxy assembly, evolution, and enrichment, including our own Milky Way; origin of stars and planets; time domain and multi-messenger astrophysics. WST's uniquely rich dataset will deliver unforeseen discoveries in many of these areas. The WST Science Team (already including more than 500 scientists worldwide) is open to the all astronomical community. To register in the WST Science Team please visit https://www.wstelescope.com/for-scientists/participate

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2023

The Evolution of Massive Binary Stars

Massive stars play a major role in the evolution of their host galaxies, and serve as important probes of the distant Universe. It has been established that the majority of massive stars reside in close binaries and will interact with their companion stars during their lifetime. Such interactions drastically alter their life cycles and complicate our understanding of their evolution, but are also responsible for the production of interesting and exotic interaction products. - Extensive observation campaigns with well-understood detection sensitivities have allowed to convert the observed properties into intrinsic characteristics, facilitating a direct comparison to theory. - Studies of large samples of massive stars in our Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds have unveiled new types of interaction products, providing critical constraints on the mass transfer phase and the formation of compact objects. - The direct detection of gravitational waves has revolutionized the study of stellar mass compact objects, providing a new window to study massive star evolution. Their formation processes are, however, still unclear. The known sample of compact object mergers will grow by orders of magnitude in the coming decade, turning into the best understood astrophysical population.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Constraints on neutrino natal kicks from black-hole binary VFTS 243

The recently reported observation of VFTS 243 is the first example of a massive black-hole binary system with negligible binary interaction following black-hole formation. The black-hole mass ($\approx 10\ M_{\odot}$) and near-circular orbit ($e\approx 0.02$) of VFTS 243 suggest that the progenitor star experienced complete collapse, with energy-momentum being lost predominantly through neutrinos. VFTS 243 enables us to constrain the natal kick and neutrino-emission asymmetry during black-hole formation. At 68% C.L., the natal kick velocity (mass decrement) is $\lesssim 10$ km/s ($\lesssim 1.0\ M_{\odot}$), with a full probability distribution that peaks when $\approx 0.3\ M_{\odot}$ were ejected, presumably in neutrinos, and the black hole experienced a natal kick of $4$ km/s. The neutrino-emission asymmetry is $\lesssim 4$%, with best fit values of $\sim$0-0.2%. Such a small neutrino natal kick accompanying black-hole formation is in agreement with theoretical predictions.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Updated radial velocities and new constraints on the nature of the unseen source in NGC1850 BH1

A black hole candidate orbiting a luminous star in the Large Magellanic Cloud young cluster NGC 1850 ($\sim100$Myr) has recently been reported based on radial velocity and light curve modelling. Subsequently, an alternative explanation has been suggested for the system: a bloated post-mass transfer secondary star (M$_{\rm initial} \sim 4-5M_{\odot}$, M$_{\rm current} \sim 1-2M_{\odot}$) with a more massive, yet luminous companion (the primary). Upon reanalysis of the MUSE spectra, we found that the radial velocity variations originally reported were underestimated ($K_{\rm 2,revised} = 176\pm3$km/s vs $K_{\rm 2,original} = 140\pm3$km/s) because of the weighting scheme adopted in the full-spectrum fitting analysis. The increased radial velocity semi-amplitude translates into a system mass function larger than previously deduced ($f_{\rm revised}$=2.83$M_{\odot}$ vs $f_{\rm original}$=1.42$M_{\odot}$). By exploiting the spectral disentangling technique, we place an upper limit of 10\% of a luminous primary source to the observed optical light in NGC1850 BH1, assuming that the primary and secondary are the only components contributing to the system. Furthermore, by analysing archival near-infrared data, we find clues to the presence of an accretion disk in the system. These constraints support a low-mass post-mass transfer star but do not provide a definitive answer whether the unseen component in NGC1850 BH1 is indeed a black hole. These results predict a scenario where, if a primary luminous source of mass M $\ge 4.7M_{\odot}$, is present in the system (given the inclination and secondary mass constraints), it must be hidden in a optically thick disk to be undetected in the MUSE spectra.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

The initial spin distribution of B-type stars revealed by the split main sequences of young star clusters

Spectroscopic observations of stars in young open clusters have revealed evidence for a dichotomous distribution of stellar rotational velocities, with 10-30% of stars rotating slowly and the remaining 70-90% rotating fairly rapidly. At the same time, high-precision multiband photometry of young star clusters shows a split main sequence band, which is again interpreted as due to a spin dichotomy. Recent papers suggest that extreme rotation is required to retrieve the photometric split. Our new grids of MESA models and the prevalent SYCLIST models show, however, that initial slow (0-35% of the linear Keplerian rotation velocities) and intermediate (50-65% of the Keplerian rotation velocities) rotation are adequate to explain the photometric split. These values are consistent with the recent spectroscopic measurements of cluster and field stars, and are likely to reflect the birth spin distributions of upper main-sequence stars. A fraction of the initially faster-rotating stars may be able to reach near-critical rotation at the end of their main-sequence evolution and produce Be stars in the turn-off region of young star clusters. However, we find that the presence of Be stars up to two magnitudes below the cluster turnoff advocates for a crucial role of binary interaction in creating Be stars. We argue that surface chemical composition measurements may help distinguish these two Be star formation channels. While only the most rapidly rotating, and therefore nitrogen-enriched, single stars can evolve into Be stars, slow pre-mass-transfer rotation and inefficient accretion allows for mild or no enrichment even in critically rotating accretion-induced Be stars. Our results shed new light on the origin of the spin distribution of young and evolved B-type main sequence stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

The Nature of Unseen Companions in Massive Single-Line Spectroscopic Binaries

Massive stars are predominantly found in binaries and higher order multiples. While the period and eccentricity distributions of OB stars are now well established across different metallicity regimes, the determination of mass-ratios has been mostly limited to double-lined spectroscopic binaries. As a consequence, the mass-ratio distribution remains subject to significant uncertainties. Open questions include the shape and extent of the companion mass-function towards its low-mass end and the nature of undetected companions in single-lined spectroscopic binaries. In this contribution, we present the results of a large and systematic analysis of a sample of over 80 single-lined O-type spectroscopic binaries (SB1s) in the Milky Way and in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We report on the developed methodology, the constraints obtained on the nature of SB1 companions, the distribution of O star mass-ratios at LMC metallicity and the occurrence of quiescent OB+black hole binaries.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

An X-ray quiet black hole born with a negligible kick in a massive binary within the Large Magellanic Cloud

Stellar-mass black holes are the final remnants of stars born with more than 15 solar masses. Billions are expected to reside in the Local Group, yet only few are known, mostly detected through X-rays emitted as they accrete material from a companion star. Here, we report on VFTS 243: a massive X-ray faint binary in the Large Magellanic Cloud. With an orbital period of 10.4-d, it comprises an O-type star of 25 solar masses and an unseen companion of at least nine solar masses. Our spectral analysis excludes a non-degenerate companion at a 5-sigma confidence level. The minimum companion mass implies that it is a black hole. No other X-ray quiet black hole is unambiguously known outside our Galaxy. The (near-)circular orbit and kinematics of VFTS 243 imply that the collapse of the progenitor into a black hole was associated with little or no ejected material or black-hole kick. Identifying such unique binaries substantially impacts the predicted rates of gravitational-wave detections and properties of core-collapse supernovae across the Cosmos.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Stellar mergers as the origin of the blue main-sequence band in young star clusters

Recent high-quality Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry shows that the main sequences (MS) stars of young star clusters form two discrete components in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD). Based on their distribution in the CMD, we show that stars of the blue MS component can be understood as slow rotators originating from stellar mergers. We derive the masses of the blue MS stars, and find that they follow a nearly flat mass function, which supports their unusual formation path. Our results imply that the cluster stars gain their mass in two different ways, by disk accretion leading to rapid rotation, contributing to the red MS, or by binary merger leading to slow rotation and populating the blue MS. We also derive the approximate merger time of the individual stars of the blue MS component, and find a strong early peak in the merger rate, with a lower level merger activity prevailing for tens of Myr. This supports recent binary formation models, and explains new velocity dispersion measurements for members of young star clusters. Our findings shed new light on the origin of the bi-modal mass, spin, and magnetic field distributions of main-sequence stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

The Carina High-contrast Imaging Project for massive Stars (CHIPS): II. O stars in Trumpler~14

Most massive stars belong to multiple systems, yet the formation process leading to such high multiplicity remains insufficiently understood. To help constrain the different formation scenarios that exist, insights on the low-mass end of the companion mass function of such stars is crucial. However, this is a challenging endeavour as (sub-)solar mass companions at angular separations ($ρ$) below 1" (corresponding to 1000-3000 au in nearby young open clusters and OB associations) are difficult to detect due to the large brightness contrast with the central star. With the Carina High-contrast Imaging Project of massive Stars (CHIPS), we aim to obtain statistically significant constraints on the presence and properties of low-mass companions around massive stars at a previously unreachable observing window ($Δ\mathrm{mag} \gtrsim 10$ at $ρ\lesssim$ 1"). In this second paper in the series, we focus on the Trumpler 14 cluster, which harbours some of the youngest and most massive O-type stars in the Milky Way. We obtained VLT-SPHERE observations of seven O-type objects in Trumpler 14 using the IRDIFS_EXT mode. These allow us to search for companions at separations larger than 0."15 (approx. 360 au) and down to magnitude contrast $>10 \mathrm{mag}$ in the near-infrared. We used angular and spectral differential imaging along with PSF fitting to detect sources and measure their flux relative to that of the central object. We detected 211 sources with near-infrared magnitude contrast in the range of 2 to 12. The closest companion, at only 0."26, is characterised as a 1.4M$_{\odot}$ stars with an age of 0.6Myr, in excellent agreement with previous age estimates for Tr 14. The mass function peaks at about 0.4M$_{\odot}$ and presents a dearth of stars in the 0.5 to 0.8M$_{\odot}$ mass range compared to previous estimates of the initial mass function in Tr 14.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

A homogeneous spectroscopic analysis of a Kepler legacy sample of dwarfs for gravity-mode asteroseismology

Asteroseismic modelling of the internal structure of main-sequence stars born with a convective core has so far been based on homogeneous analyses of space photometric Kepler light curves of 4 years duration, to which most often incomplete inhomogeneously deduced spectroscopic information was added to break degeneracies. We composed a sample of 111 dwarf gravity-mode pulsators observed by the Kepler space telescope whose light curves allowed for determination of their near-core rotation rates. For this sample we assembled HERMES high-resolution optical spectroscopy at the 1.2-m Mercator telescope. Our spectroscopic information offers additional observational input to also model the envelope layers of these non-radially pulsating dwarfs. We determined stellar parameters and surface abundances in a homogeneous way from atmospheric analysis with spectrum normalisation based on a new machine learning tool. Our results suggest a systematic overestimation of [M/H] in the literature for the studied F-type dwarfs, presumably due to normalisation limitations caused by the dense line spectrum of these rotating stars. CNO-surface abundances were found to be uncorrelated with the rotation properties of the F-type stars. For the B-type stars, we find a hint of deep mixing from C and O abundance ratios; N abundances have too large uncertainties to reveal a correlation with the rotation of the stars. Our spectroscopic stellar parameters and abundance determinations allow for future joint spectroscopic, astrometric (Gaia), and asteroseismic modelling of this legacy sample of gravity-mode pulsators, with the aim to improve our understanding of transport processes in the core-hydrogen burning phase of stellar evolution.

astro-ph.SR↗