UOCS.VI. UVIT/AstroSat detection of low-mass white dwarf companions to 4 more blue stragglers in M67

TL;DR

This study detects low-mass white dwarf companions to blue straggler stars in M67 using UVIT/ AstroSat, revealing insights into their formation mechanisms and prevalence of mass transfer processes.

Contribution

First detection of low-mass white dwarf companions to multiple blue stragglers in M67 using UVIT, providing new evidence for mass transfer origins in cluster BSSs.

Findings

Five BSSs have low-mass WD companions, indicating prevalent mass transfer.

13 of 14 BSSs in M67 detected in UV, with detailed analysis on 10.

Some systems show orbital parameters inconsistent with stable mass transfer, suggesting complex formation scenarios.

Abstract

Blue stragglers stars (BSSs) in M67 have attracted attention from observations and theory to unravel their formation mechanisms. In the series of Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT on AstroSat) study of Open clusters (UOCS), here we report the detection of hot companions to 4 more BSSs (WOCS 2013, WOCS 3013, WOCS 4006 and WOCS 5005), using Far-UV photometry obtained in two epochs from UVIT. We characterise the hot companions to be low to extremely low mass (LM/ELM) white dwarfs (WDs) with Teff ~ 13-23kK, R/Rsun ~ 0.035-0.051, M/Msun ~ 0.19-0.3 and age ~ 25-300 Myr using WD models. Two BSSs (WOCS 1025 and WOCS 3005) showed UV excess, and may have a hot companion, but we are unable to confirm/characterise. 13 BSSs are detected by UVIT in the two epochs of data, of the total 14 present in M67. We have performed detailed analysis on 10 BSSs, including our previous studies. Five BSSs are found to have LM/ELM WD companions, suggesting Case-B mass-transfers (MT) to be prevalent in M67 (with a lower limit of 37.5%, 5/14), along with other mechanisms. Three BS+WD systems have orbital parameters outside the limit for stable MT as per the models. We speculate the following three possibilities - their orbits are altered due to cluster dynamics, some may be in triple systems with LM/ELM WDs in an unknown closer orbit, or a modified MT mechanism may be required to enable their formation.