An all-sky sample of intermediate- to high-mass OBA-type eclipsing binaries observed by TESS

Abstract

Context. Intermediate-to high-mass stars are the least numerous types of stars, and they are less well understood than their more numerous low-mass counterparts in terms of their internal physical processes. Modelling the photometric variability of a large sample of main-sequence intermediate-to high-mass stars in eclipsing binary systems will help to improve the models for such stars. Aims. Our goal is to compose a homogeneously compiled sample of main-sequence intermediate-to high-mass OBA-type dwarfs in eclipsing binary systems from TESS photometry. We search for binaries with and without pulsations and determine their approximate ephemerides. Methods. Our selection starts from a catalogue of dwarfs with colours corresponding to those of OBA-type dwarfs in the TESS Input Catalog. We develop a new automated method aimed at detecting eclipsing binaries in the presence of a strong pulsational and/or rotational signal relative to the eclipse depths and apply it to publicly available 30-minute cadence TESS light curves. Results. Using targets with TESS magnitudes below 15 and cuts in the 2MASS magnitude bands of J − H < 0.045 and J − K < 0.06 as the most stringent criteria, we arrive at a total of 189 981 intermediate-to high-mass candidates, 91193 of which have light curves from at least one of two data reduction pipelines. The eclipsing binary detection and subsequent manual check for false positives resulted in 3155 unique OBA-type eclipsing binary candidates. Conclusions. Our sample of eclipsing binary stars in the intermediate-to high-mass regime allows for future binary (and asteroseismic) modelling with the aim to better understand the internal physical processes in this hot part of the main sequence.

Detection of period-spacing patterns due to the gravity modes of rotating dwarfs in the TESS southern continuous viewing zone

“…We checked the 369 light curves of our sample after the frequency analysis and removed eclipsing binaries. These were studied further in the separate paper by IJspeert et al (2021). We also inspected the light curves for cases where systematic flux variability persisted after our data reduction pipeline (see Sect.…”

High-mass pulsators in eclipsing binaries observed usingTESS

“…In contrast to Kepler, the TESS mission has observed a large number of high-mass EBs, of which many have an extensive observational history and in some cases a detailed characterisation of the physical properties of the component stars. See the recent study by IJspeert et al (2021) for a census of EBs with g-mode pulsations predominantly focussed on intermediate-mass stars, Prša et al (2022) for a catalogue of 4500 EBs detected using TESS, and Southworth (2021) for a detailed review of the impact of space-based telescopes on binary star science.…”

Space-Based Photometry of Binary Stars: From Voyager to TESS

“…This indicates that either tidal circularisation is more efficient for these stars than expected, or that their formation and pre-main-sequence evolution have an important effect on their eccentricities. IJspeert et al [257] compiled an homogeneous sample of OBA-type EBs with a particular aim of facilitating asteroseismology of high-mass stars in EBs. Comprehensive catalogues of EBs observed by TESS are currently in preparation by at least two groups.…”