Magnetic Inflation and Stellar Mass I: Revised Parameters for the Component Stars of the Kepler Low-mass Eclipsing Binary T-Cyg1-12664

TL;DR

This study revises the stellar parameters of the low-mass eclipsing binary T-Cyg1-12664, showing that neither star's radius is inflated, aligning with modern models and challenging previous magnetic inhibition explanations.

Contribution

The paper provides independent mass and radius measurements for T-Cyg1-12664's components, resolving previous discrepancies and supporting standard stellar models for low-mass stars.

Findings

Neither star shows radius inflation compared to models.

Results align with modern stellar evolutionary models.

Magnetic inhibition is not required to explain stellar radii.

Abstract

Several low-mass eclipsing binary stars show larger than expected radii for their measured mass, metallicity and age. One proposed mechanism for this radius inflation involves inhibited internal convection and starspots caused by strong magnetic fields. One particular eclipsing binary, T-Cyg1-12664, has proven confounding to this scenario. \citet{Cakirli2013a} measured a radius for the secondary component that is twice as large as model predictions for stars with the same mass and age, but a primary mass that is consistent with predictions. \citet[][]{Iglesias2017} independently measured the radii and masses of the component stars and found that the radius of the secondary is not in fact inflated with respect to models, but that the primary is, consistent with the inhibited convection scenario. However, in their mass determinations, \citet[][]{Iglesias2017} lacked independent radial velocity measurements for the secondary component due to the star's faintness at optical wavelengths. The secondary component is especially interesting as its purported mass is near the transition from partially-convective to a fully-convective interior. In this article we independently determined the masses and radii of the component stars of T-Cyg1-12664 using archival {\it Kepler} data and radial velocity measurements of both component stars obtained with IGRINS on the Discovery Channel Telescope and NIRSPEC and HIRES on the Keck Telescopes. We show that neither of the component stars is inflated with respect to models. Our results are broadly consistent with modern stellar evolutionary models for main-sequence M dwarf stars and do not require inhibited convection by magnetic fields to account for the stellar radii.