Hubble Space Telescope Astrometry of the Metal-Poor Visual Binary $\mu$ Cassiopeiae: Dynamical Masses, Helium Content, and Age

TL;DR

This study uses two decades of Hubble Space Telescope astrometry to precisely determine the orbital parameters and dynamical masses of the metal-poor binary star $ppa$ Cassiopeiae, aiming to infer its helium content and age.

Contribution

It provides the first precise dynamical masses for both components of $ppa$ Cas and estimates its helium content and age, highlighting the star's potential status as the oldest visible star.

Findings

Dynamical masses: 0.7440 and 0.1728 solar masses for primary and secondary.

Estimated helium content: 0.255 with 0.014 uncertainty.

Estimated age: approximately 12.7 billion years.

Abstract

$\mu$ Cassiopeiae is a nearby, high-velocity, metal-poor ($\rm[Fe/H]=-0.81$) visual binary. We have used high-resolution imaging with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), obtained over nearly two decades, to determine the period (21.568 yr) and precise orbital elements. Combining these with published ground- and space-based astrometry, we determined dynamical masses for both components of $\mu$ Cas: $0.7440\pm0.0122\,M_\odot$ for the G5 V primary, and $0.1728\pm0.0035\,M_\odot$ for its faint dM companion. We detect no significant perturbations in the HST astrometry due to a third body in the system. The primary aim of our program was to determine, with the aid of stellar models, the helium content and age of the metal-deficient primary star, $\mu$ Cas A. Although we now have a precise mass, there remain uncertainties about other parameters, including its effective temperature. Moreover, a re-examination of archival interferometric observations leads to a suspicion that the angular diameter was overestimated by a few percent. In the absolute magnitude versus color plane, $\mu$ Cas A lies slightly cooler and more luminous than the main sequence of the globular cluster 47 Tucanae; this may imply that the star has a lower helium content, and/or is older, and/or has a higher metallicity, than the cluster. Our best estimates for the helium content and age of $\mu$ Cas A are $Y=0.255\pm0.014$ and $12.7\pm2.7$ Gyr--making $\mu$ Cas possibly the oldest star in the sky visible to the naked eye. Improved measurements of the absolute parallax of the system, the effective temperature of $\mu$ Cas A, and its angular diameter would provide tighter constraints.