WR 63: A multiple system (O+O)+WR ?

TL;DR

WR 63 is likely a triple star system with two non-interacting O stars orbiting a Wolf-Rayet star, characterized by complex spectral and photometric variability, with implications for understanding massive star evolution.

Contribution

This study provides the first detailed analysis suggesting WR 63 is a triple system, combining spectral, photometric, and evolutionary data to characterize its components and dynamics.

Findings

WR 63 contains two O stars with RV variations indicating a close binary.

The WR star shows no significant RV variations, implying a wider orbit.

Estimated ages and masses of the stars suggest coeval formation around 6 million years ago.

Abstract

The spectrum of the Wolf-Rayet (WR) star WR 63 contains spectral lines of two different O stars that show regular radial velocity (RV) variations with amplitudes of ~160 and ~225 km/s on a ~4.03 d period. The light-curve shows two narrow eclipses that are 0.2 mag deep on the same period as the RV changes. On the other hand, our data show no significant RV variations for the WR spectral lines. Those findings are compatible with WR 63 being a triple system composed of two non-interacting late O stars orbiting a WR star on a period larger than 1000 days. The amplitude of the WR spectral line-profile variability reaches 7-8% of the line intensity and seems related to a 0.04 mag periodic photometric variation. Large wind density structures are a possible origin of this variability, but our data are not sufficient to verify this. Our analysis shows that, should the three stars be bound, they would be coeval with an age of about 5.9+/-1.4 Myrs. The distance to the O stars is estimated to be 3.4+/-0.5 kpc. Their dynamical masses are 14.3+/-0.1 and 10.3+/-0.1 M_sol. Using rotating, single star evolutionary tracks, we estimate their initial masses to be 18+/-2 and 16+/-2 M_sol for the primary and the secondary, respectively. Regular spectral monitoring is required in the future to detect RV variations of the WR star that would prove that it is gravitationally bound to the close O+OB system and to determine its mass.