The Spectroscopic Orbit of Polaris, and its Pulsation Properties

TL;DR

This study analyzes over a century of radial velocity data of Polaris, revealing recent changes in its pulsation period and amplitude, and suggests binary interactions may influence its pulsation behavior.

Contribution

The paper provides an updated spectroscopic orbit of Polaris and links pulsation variations to binary orbital phases, offering insights into Cepheid pulsation dynamics.

Findings

Pulsation period is now decreasing.

Pulsation amplitude has stopped increasing.

Pulsation changes correlate with binary periastron passages.

Abstract

Polaris is the nearest and brightest classical Cepheid, and pulsates with a period of about 4 days. It has long been known as a single-lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 30 yr. Historical photometric and spectroscopic records indicate that, until recently, the pulsation period has been increasing at a rate of about 4.5 s/yr, and that the amplitude of the pulsation declined for most of the 20th century, but more recently halted its decline and began to increase. Here we report an analysis of the more than 3600 individual radial velocity measurements of Polaris available from the literature over the past 126 yr. We find that the pulsation period is now becoming shorter, and that the amplitude of the velocity variations has stopped increasing, and may be getting smaller again. We also find tantalising evidence that these changes in pulsation behaviour over the last century may be related to the binary nature of the system, as they seem to occur near each periastron passage, when the secondary comes within 29 stellar radii of the Cepheid in its eccentric orbit. This suggests the companion may be perturbing the atmosphere of the Cepheid and altering its pulsation properties at each encounter. After removal of the pulsation component of the velocities, we derive a much improved spectroscopic orbit for the binary that should serve as the basis for a more accurate determination of the dynamical masses, which are still rather uncertain.