Hot Subdwarfs in Resolved Binaries

TL;DR

This paper explores wide binary systems with hot subdwarfs, aiming to determine their properties by analyzing common proper motion pairs, which can provide insights into their characteristics and formation history.

Contribution

It introduces a novel search for wide binaries with hot subdwarfs, expanding understanding beyond close binary systems and leveraging coevality for property estimation.

Findings

Several promising candidate systems identified

Potential to determine subdwarf properties via secondary stars

Enhanced understanding of hot subdwarf formation in wide binaries

Abstract

In the last decade or so, there have been numerous searches for hot subdwarfs in close binaries. There has been little to no attention paid to wide binaries however. The advantages of understanding these systems can be many. The stars can be assumed to be coeval, which means they have common properties. The distance and metallicity, for example, are both unknown for the subdwarf component, but may be determinable for the secondary, allowing other properties of the subdwarf to be estimated. With this in mind, we have started a search for common proper motion pairs containing a hot subdwarf component. We have uncovered several promising candidate systems, which are presented here.