Rediscussion of eclipsing binaries. Paper XI. ZZ Ursae Majoris, a solar-type system showing total eclipses and a radius discrepancy

TL;DR

This study precisely characterizes the ZZ UMa eclipsing binary, revealing a radius discrepancy in the secondary star and emphasizing the importance of long-term, totally-eclipsing system observations for accurate stellar property measurements.

Contribution

It provides high-precision measurements of ZZ UMa's stellar parameters and discusses the persistent radius discrepancy in the secondary star, highlighting the impact of starspot activity on observational data.

Findings

Primary star matches theoretical models for age and metallicity.

Secondary star's radius is larger and temperature lower than models predict.

Starspot activity affects light curve and brightness ratios over time.

Abstract

ZZ UMa is a detached eclipsing binary with an orbital period of 2.299 d that shows total eclipses and starspot activity. We used five sectors of light curves from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and two published sets of radial velocities to establish the properties of the system to high precision. The primary star has a mass of 1.135 +/- 0.009 Msun and a radius of 1.437 +/- 0.007 Rsun, whilst the secondary component has a mass of 0.965 +/- 0.005 Msun and a radius of 1.075 +/- 0.005 Rsun. The properties of the primary star agree with theoretical predictions for a slightly super-solar metallicity and an age of 5.5 Gyr. The properties of the secondary star disagree with these and all other model predictions: whilst the luminosity is in good agreement with models the radius is too large and the temperature is too low. These are the defining characteristics of the radius discrepancy which has been known for 40 years but remains an active area of research. Starspot activity is evident in the out-of-eclipse portions of the light curve, in systematic changes in the eclipse depths, and in emission at the Ca H and K lines in a medium-resolution spectrum of the system. Over the course of the TESS observations the light and surface brightness ratios between the stars change linearly by 20% and 14%, respectively, but the geometric parameters do not. Studies of objects showing spot activity should account for this by using observations over long time periods where possible, and by concentrating on totally-eclipsing systems whose light curves allow more robust measurements of the physical properties of the system.