Age and helium content of the open cluster NGC 6791 from multiple eclipsing binary members. II. age dependencies and new insights

TL;DR

This study refines the age and helium content estimates of open cluster NGC 6791 using multiple eclipsing binaries, improved photometry, and extensive model comparisons, providing new insights into stellar evolution in old clusters.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive analysis combining multiple eclipsing binaries, improved observational data, and model comparisons to accurately determine the cluster's age and helium abundance.

Findings

Cluster age estimated at ~8.3 Gyr.

Helium mass fraction constrained at Y=0.30 ± 0.01.

Supports RGB mass-loss findings from asteroseismology.

Abstract

Models of stellar structure and evolution can be constrained by measuring accurate parameters of detached eclipsing binaries in open clusters. Multiple binary stars provide the means to determine helium abundances in these old stellar systems, and in turn, to improve estimates of their age. In the first paper of this series, we demonstrated how measurements of multiple eclipsing binaries in the old open cluster NGC6791 sets tighter constraints on the properties of stellar models than has previously been possible, thereby potentially improving both the accuracy and precision of the cluster age. Here we add additional constraints and perform an extensive model comparison to determine the best estimates of the cluster age and helium content, employing as many observational constraints as possible. We improve our photometry and correct empirically for differential reddening effects. We then perform an extensive comparison of the CMDs and eclipsing binary measurements to Victoria and DSEP isochrones to estimate cluster parameters. We also reanalyse a spectrum of the star 2-17 to improve [Fe/H] constraints. We find a best estimate of the age of ~8.3 Gyr while demonstrating that remaining age uncertainty is dominated by uncertainties in the CNO abundances. The helium mass fraction is well constrained at Y = 0.30 \pm 0.01 resulting in dY/dZ ~ 1.4 assuming that such a relation exists. During the analysis we firmly identify blue straggler stars, including the star 2-17, and find indications for the presence of their evolved counterparts. Our analysis supports the RGB mass-loss found from asteroseismology and we determine precisely the absolute mass of stars on the lower RGB, 1.15\pm0.02Msun. This will be an important consistency check for the detailed asteroseismology of cluster stars.