Asteroseismology of two Kepler detached eclipsing binaries

TL;DR

This study combines light curve, spectroscopic, and asteroseismic analyses of two Kepler eclipsing binaries with delta Scuti pulsators, providing detailed stellar parameters and exploring pulsation-orbit relationships.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed asteroseismic analysis of these systems, integrating spectroscopic data with pulsation modeling to improve understanding of pulsation and binary evolution.

Findings

Derived absolute parameters of the stars with higher certainty.

Identified pulsation frequencies and modes of delta Scuti stars.

Established correlations between orbital and pulsation periods.

Abstract

The present work contains light curve, spectroscopic and asteroseismic analyses for KIC 04851217 and KIC 10686876. These systems are detached eclipsing binaries hosting a pulsating component of delta Scuti type and have been observed with the unprecedented accuracy of the Kepler space telescope. Using ground based spectroscopic observations, the spectral types of the primary components of the systems were estimated as A6V and A5V for KIC 04851217 and KIC 10686876, respectively, with an uncertainty of one subclass. The present spectral classification together with literature radial velocities curves were used to model the light curves of the systems and, therefore, to calculate the absolute parameters of their components with higher certainty. The photometric data were analysed using standard eclipsing binary modeling techniques, while their residuals were further analysed using Fourier transformation techniques in order to extract the pulsation frequencies of their host delta Scuti stars. The oscillation modes of the independent frequencies were identified using theoretical models of delta Scuti stars. The distances of the systems were calculated using the relation between the luminosity and the pulsation period for delta Scuti stars. The physical and the oscillation properties of the pulsating components of these systems are discussed and compared with others of the same type. Moreover, using all the currently known cases of delta Scuti stars in detached binaries, updated correlations between orbital and dominant pulsation periods and between log g and pulsation periods were derived. It was found that the proximity of the companion plays significant role to the evolution of the pulsational frequencies.