Radio Astrometry Of The Triple Systems Algol And UX Arietis

TL;DR

This study uses multi-epoch radio interferometry to refine orbital parameters and proper motions of the binary systems Algol and UX Arietis, revealing detailed radio morphology and orbital dynamics.

Contribution

It provides new orbital solutions and radio morphology insights for Algol and UX Arietis, confirming retrograde motion and characterizing emission regions.

Findings

Refined proper motion and orbital elements for Algol and UX Arietis.

Confirmed retrograde inner orbit of Algol.

Identified radio emission regions linked to stellar activity.

Abstract

We have used multi-epoch long-baseline radio interferometry to determine the proper motion and orbital elements of Algol and UX Arietis, two radio-bright, close binary stellar systems with distant tertiary components. For Algol, we refine the proper motion and outer orbit solutions, confirming the recent result of Zavala et al. (2010) that the inner orbit is retrograde. The radio centroid closely tracks the motion of the KIV secondary. In addition, the radio morphology varies from double-lobed at low flux level to crescent-shaped during active periods. These results are most easily interpreted as synchrotron emission from a large, co-rotating meridional loop centered on the K-star. If this is correct, it provides a radio-optical frame tie candidate with an uncertainty {\pm}0.5 mas. For UX Arietis, we find a outer orbit solution that accounts for previous VLBI observations of an acceleration term in the proper motion fit. The outer orbit solution is also consistent with previously published radial velocity curves and speckle observations of a third body. The derived tertiary mass, 0.75 solar masses, is consistent with the K1 main-sequence star detected spectroscopically. The inner orbit solution favors radio emission from the active K0IV primary only. The radio morphology, consisting of a single, partially resolved emission region, may be associated with the persistent polar spot observed using Doppler imaging.