First detailed study of two eccentric eclipsing binaries: TYC 5378-1590-1 and TYC 8378-252-1

TL;DR

This study provides the first detailed analysis of two eccentric eclipsing binaries, deriving their physical parameters and testing stellar evolution theories through combined photometry and spectroscopy.

Contribution

It offers the first precise parameters for TYC 5378-1590-1 and TYC 8378-252-1, including their eccentricities, ages, and apsidal motion, and compares observed internal structure constants with theoretical models.

Findings

Both systems have moderate eccentricities and long apsidal motion periods.

The internal structure constant of TYC 8378-252-1 is about 11% lower than predicted.

The eccentricity of TYC 8378-252-1 challenges current circularization theories.

Abstract

Aims: The analysis of combined photometry and spectroscopy of eccentric eclipsing binary systems facilitates the derivation of precise values for the parameters of the component stars and their orbits, thereby providing stringent tests of theories of stellar structure and evolution. In this paper two eccentric eclipsing binary systems, TYC 5378-1590-1 and TYC 8378-252-1, are studied in detail for the first time. Methods: Radial velocities were obtained using cross-correlation methods applied to mid-resolution spectra covering almost the entire orbital phase domains of these two systems. TESS photometry was used for the analysis of TYC 5378-1590-1, whereas ASAS-SN photometry was used for the analysis of TYC 8378-252-1. Results: We obtained the first precise derivation of the physical parameters of these systems. Both systems display moderately eccentric orbits (e = 0.3 and 0.2) with periods of 3.7323 and 2.8776 days, respectively. The apsidal motion is very slow, with a duration of several centuries. We present two models for the apsidal motion of TYC 5378-1590-1. The internal structure constant derived from observations for TYC 8378-252-1 is approximately 11% lower than theoretical predictions. We discuss possible reasons for this discrepancy. Our analysis indicates that the components of both systems are on the main sequence. The components of TYC 5378-1590-1 are relatively young stars (age 600 Myr) close to the ZAMS, whereas the components of TYC 8378-252-1 are relatively old stars (age 4 Gyr) close to the TAMS. Our finding that the circularization timescale for TYC 5378-1590-1 is 200 times longer than its evolutionary age is compatible with theory; however, our the evolutionary age of TYC 8378-252-1 is approximately ten times longer than the circulation age, while its orbital eccentricity is quite high (e= 0.2), challenges the present theories of circularization.