The Betelgeuse Project: Constraints from Rotation

TL;DR

This study models Betelgeuse's evolution considering rotation to better understand its current state, revealing challenges in matching observed rotational velocity and suggesting possible past merger events.

Contribution

It introduces a suite of rotating stellar models for Betelgeuse and discusses the implications of rotation and potential merger history on its evolution.

Findings

Non-rotating models align with previous work.

Observed rotational velocity is only matched near the base of the RSB.

Betelgeuse's current rotation suggests a past merger event.

Abstract

In order to constrain the evolutionary state of the red supergiant Betelgeuse, we have produced a suite of models with ZAMS masses from 15 to 25 Msun in intervals of 1 Msun including the effects of rotation. The models were computed with the stellar evolutionary code MESA. For non-rotating models we find results that are similar to other work. It is somewhat difficult to find models that agree within 1 sigma of the observed values of R, Teff and L, but modestly easy within 3 sigma uncertainty. Incorporating the nominal observed rotational velocity, ~15 km/s, yields significantly different, and challenging, constraints. This velocity constraint is only matched when the models first approach the base of the red supergiant branch (RSB), having crossed the Hertzsprung gap, but not yet having ascended the RSB and most violate even generous error bars on R, Teff and L. Models at the tip of the RSB typically rotate at only ~0.1 km/s, independent of any reasonable choice of initial rotation. We discuss the possible uncertainties in our modeling and the observations, including the distance to Betelgeuse, the rotation velocity, and model parameters. We summarize various options to account for the rotational velocity and suggest that one possibility is that Betelgeuse merged with a companion star of about 1 Msun as it ascended the RSB, in the process producing the ring structure observed at about 7' away. A past coalescence would complicate attempts to understand the evolutionary history and future of Betelgeuse.