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Title: THE AGE AND STELLAR PARAMETERS OF THE PROCYON BINARY SYSTEM

Abstract

The Procyon AB binary system (orbital period 40.838 yr, a newly refined determination) is near and bright enough that the component radii, effective temperatures, and luminosities are very well determined, although more than one possible solution to the masses has limited the claimed accuracy. Preliminary mass determinations for each component are available from Hubble Space Telescope imaging, supported by ground-based astrometry and an excellent Hipparcos parallax; we use these for our preferred solution for the binary system. Other values for the masses are also considered. We have employed the TYCHO stellar evolution code to match the radius and luminosity of the F5 IV-V primary star to determine the system's most likely age as 1.87 {+-} 0.13 Gyr. Since prior studies of Procyon A found its abundance indistinguishable from solar, the solar composition of Asplund, Grevesse, and Sauval (Z = 0.014) is assumed for the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram fitting. An unsuccessful attempt to fit using the older solar abundance scale of Grevesse and Sauval (Z = 0.019) is also reported. For Procyon B, 11 new sequences for the cooling of non-DA white dwarfs have been calculated to investigate the dependences of the cooling age on (1) the mass, (2) core composition, (3)more » helium layer mass, and (4) heavy-element opacities in the helium envelope. Our calculations indicate a cooling age of 1.19 {+-} 0.11 Gyr, which implies that the progenitor mass of Procyon B was 2.59{sub -0.26}{sup +0.44} M{sub Sun }. In a plot of initial versus final mass of white dwarfs in astrometric binaries or star clusters (all with age determinations), the Procyon B final mass lies several {sigma} below a straight line fit.« less

Authors:
;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)
  2. Departement de Physique, Universite de Montreal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7 (Canada)
  3. School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22126669
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 769; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ABUNDANCE; ACCURACY; ATMOSPHERES; COOLING; HERTZSPRUNG-RUSSELL DIAGRAM; LAYERS; LUMINOSITY; MASS; SPACE; SPACE VEHICLES; STAR CLUSTERS; STAR EVOLUTION; TELESCOPES; WHITE DWARF STARS

Citation Formats

Liebert, James, Arnett, David, Fontaine, Gilles, Young, Patrick A., and Williams, Kurtis A., E-mail: jamesliebert@gmail.com, E-mail: darnett@as.arizona.edu, E-mail: fontaine@astro.umontreal.ca, E-mail: pyoung.3@asu.edu, E-mail: Kurtis.Williams@tamuc.edu. THE AGE AND STELLAR PARAMETERS OF THE PROCYON BINARY SYSTEM. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/769/1/7.
Liebert, James, Arnett, David, Fontaine, Gilles, Young, Patrick A., & Williams, Kurtis A., E-mail: jamesliebert@gmail.com, E-mail: darnett@as.arizona.edu, E-mail: fontaine@astro.umontreal.ca, E-mail: pyoung.3@asu.edu, E-mail: Kurtis.Williams@tamuc.edu. THE AGE AND STELLAR PARAMETERS OF THE PROCYON BINARY SYSTEM. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/769/1/7
Liebert, James, Arnett, David, Fontaine, Gilles, Young, Patrick A., and Williams, Kurtis A., E-mail: jamesliebert@gmail.com, E-mail: darnett@as.arizona.edu, E-mail: fontaine@astro.umontreal.ca, E-mail: pyoung.3@asu.edu, E-mail: Kurtis.Williams@tamuc.edu. 2013. "THE AGE AND STELLAR PARAMETERS OF THE PROCYON BINARY SYSTEM". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/769/1/7.
@article{osti_22126669,
title = {THE AGE AND STELLAR PARAMETERS OF THE PROCYON BINARY SYSTEM},
author = {Liebert, James and Arnett, David and Fontaine, Gilles and Young, Patrick A. and Williams, Kurtis A., E-mail: jamesliebert@gmail.com, E-mail: darnett@as.arizona.edu, E-mail: fontaine@astro.umontreal.ca, E-mail: pyoung.3@asu.edu, E-mail: Kurtis.Williams@tamuc.edu},
abstractNote = {The Procyon AB binary system (orbital period 40.838 yr, a newly refined determination) is near and bright enough that the component radii, effective temperatures, and luminosities are very well determined, although more than one possible solution to the masses has limited the claimed accuracy. Preliminary mass determinations for each component are available from Hubble Space Telescope imaging, supported by ground-based astrometry and an excellent Hipparcos parallax; we use these for our preferred solution for the binary system. Other values for the masses are also considered. We have employed the TYCHO stellar evolution code to match the radius and luminosity of the F5 IV-V primary star to determine the system's most likely age as 1.87 {+-} 0.13 Gyr. Since prior studies of Procyon A found its abundance indistinguishable from solar, the solar composition of Asplund, Grevesse, and Sauval (Z = 0.014) is assumed for the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram fitting. An unsuccessful attempt to fit using the older solar abundance scale of Grevesse and Sauval (Z = 0.019) is also reported. For Procyon B, 11 new sequences for the cooling of non-DA white dwarfs have been calculated to investigate the dependences of the cooling age on (1) the mass, (2) core composition, (3) helium layer mass, and (4) heavy-element opacities in the helium envelope. Our calculations indicate a cooling age of 1.19 {+-} 0.11 Gyr, which implies that the progenitor mass of Procyon B was 2.59{sub -0.26}{sup +0.44} M{sub Sun }. In a plot of initial versus final mass of white dwarfs in astrometric binaries or star clusters (all with age determinations), the Procyon B final mass lies several {sigma} below a straight line fit.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/769/1/7},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22126669}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 1,
volume = 769,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Mon May 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}