Fundamental Parameters of four Massive Eclipsing Binaries in Westerlund 1

TL;DR

This study determines the fundamental parameters of four massive eclipsing binaries in Westerlund 1 to improve understanding of massive star evolution, magnetar progenitors, and cluster distance.

Contribution

It provides new, precise measurements of masses and radii of massive stars in Westerlund 1, aiding evolutionary models and magnetar progenitor constraints.

Findings

Confirmed high mass of magnetar progenitor

Provided accurate stellar parameters for four binaries

Supported evolutionary model constraints

Abstract

We present fundamental parameters of 4 massive eclipsing binaries in the young massive cluster Westerlund 1. The goal is to measure accurate masses and radii of their component stars, which provide much needed constraints for evolutionary models of massive stars. Accurate parameters can further be used to determine a dynamical lower limit for the magnetar progenitor and to obtain an independent distance to the cluster. Our results confirm and extend the evidence for a high mass for the progenitor of the magnetar.