[en] Context. Only a few stars are caught in the very brief and often crucial stages when they quickly traverse the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, and none has yet been spatially resolved in the mass transfer phase. Aims: We initiated long-term optical interferometry monitoring of the diameters of massive and unstable yellow hypergiants (YHG) with the goal of detecting both the long-term evolution of their radius and shorter term formation of a possible pseudo-photosphere related to proposed large mass-loss events. Methods: We observed HR 5171 A with AMBER/VLTI. We also examined archival photometric data in the visual and near-IR spanning more than 60 years, as well as sparse spectroscopic data. Results: HR 5171 Aexhibits a complex appearance. Our AMBER data reveal a surprisingly large star for a YHG R∗ = 1315 ± 260R⊙ (or ~6.1 AU) at the distance of 3.6 ± 0.5 kpc. The source is surrounded by an extended nebulosity, and these data also show a large level of asymmetry in the brightness distribution of the system, which we attribute to a newly discovered companion star located in front of the primary star. The companion's signature is also detected in the visual photometry, which indicates an orbital period of Porb = 1304 ± 6 d. Modeling the light curve with the NIGHTFALL program provides clear evidence that the system is a contact or possibly over-contact eclipsing binary. A total current system mass of 39^+40_-22 M⊙ and a high mass ratio q ≥ 10 is inferred for the system. Conclusions: The low-mass companion of HR 5171 is very close to the primary star that is embedded within its dense wind. Tight constraints on the inclination and vsini of the primary are lacking, which prevents us from determining its influence precisely on the mass-loss phenomenon, but the system is probably experiencing a wind Roche-Lobe overflow. Depending on the amount of angular momentum that can be transferred to the stellar envelope, HR 5171 A may become a fast-rotating B[e]/luminous blue variable/Wolf-Rayet star. In any case, HR 5171 A highlights the possible importance of binaries for interpreting the unstable YHGs and for massive star evolution in general.
Research Center/Unit :
LiSRI - Liège Space Research Institute - ULiège
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Chesneau, O.; Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR7293, Univ. Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, 06300, Nice, France
Meilland, A.; Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR7293, Univ. Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, 06300, Nice, France
Chapellier, E.; Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR7293, Univ. Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, 06300, Nice, France
Millour, F.; Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR7293, Univ. Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, 06300, Nice, France
van Genderen, A. M.; Leiden Observatory, Leiden University Postbus 9513, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
Nazé, Yaël ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GAPHE : Astrophysique observationnelle (sol et espace)
Smith, N.; Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
Spang, A.; Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR7293, Univ. Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, 06300, Nice, France
Smoker, J. V.; European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Casilla 19001, Vitacura, Santiago 19, Chile
Dessart, Luc; Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille) UMR 7326, 13388, Marseille, France
Kanaan, S.; Departamento de Física y Astronomá, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile
Bendjoya, Ph; Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR7293, Univ. Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, 06300, Nice, France
Feast, M. W.; South African Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 9, 7935, Observatory, South Africa ; Astronomy, Cosmology and Gravitation Centre, Astronomy Department, University of Cape Town, 7700, Rondebosch, South Africa
Groh, J. H.; Geneva Observatory, Geneva University, Chemin des Maillettes 51, 1290, Sauverny, Switzerland
Lobel, A.; Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan 3, 1180, Brussels, Belgium
Nardetto, N.; Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR7293, Univ. Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, 06300, Nice, France
Otero, S.; American Association of Variable Star Observers, 49 Bay State Road, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
Oudmaijer, R. D.; School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
Tekola, A. G.; South African Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 9, 7935, Observatory, South Africa ; Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, Goleta, CA, 93117, USA
Whitelock, P. A.; South African Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 9, 7935, Observatory, South Africa ; Astronomy, Cosmology and Gravitation Centre, Astronomy Department, University of Cape Town, 7700, Rondebosch, South Africa
Arcos, C.; Departamento de Física y Astronomá, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile
Curé, M.; Departamento de Física y Astronomá, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile
Vanzi, L.; Department of Electrical Engineering and Center of Astro Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna, 4860, Santiago, Chile)
Abate, C., Pols, O. R., Izzard, R. G., Mohamed, S. S., & de Mink, S. E. 2013, A&A, 552, A26
Apruzese, J. P. 1975, ApJ, 196, 761
Arroyo-Torres, B., Wittkowski, M., Marcaide, J. M., & Hauschildt, P. H. 2013, A&A, 554, A76
Balona, L. A. 1982, MNRAS, 201, 105
Bonneau, D., Clausse, J.-M., Delfosse, X. et al., 2006, A&A, 456, 789
Cannon, A. J. 1936, Annals of Harvard College Observatory, 100, 1
Carter, B. S. 1990, MNRAS, 242, 1
Chelli, A., & Petrov, R. G. 1995, A&AS, 109, 389
Chelli, A., Utrera, O. H., & Duvert, G. 2009, A&A, 502, 705
Chun, M., Toomey, D., Wahhaj, Z., et al. 2008, in SPIE Conf. Ser., 7015
Clark, J. S., Bartlett, E. S., Coe, M. J. et al., 2013, A&A, 560, A10
Cutri, R. M. & et al. 2012, VizieR Online Data Catalog: II/311
de Jager, C. 1998, A&ARv, 8, 145
de Mink, S. E., Langer, N., Izzard, R. G., Sana, H., & de Koter, A. 2013, ApJ, 764, 166
Dean, J. F. 1980, IBVS, 1796, 1
Dessart, L., Hillier, D. J., Livne, E. et al., 2011, MNRAS, 414, 2985
Dessart, L., Hillier, D. J., Li, C., & Woosley, S. 2012, MNRAS, 424, 2139
Detmers, R. G., Langer, N., Podsiadlowski, P., & Izzard, R. G. 2008, A&A, 484, 831
Domiciano de Souza, A., Zorec, J., Jankov, S. et al., 2004, A&A, 418, 781
Driebe, T., Groh, J. H., Hofmann, K.-H. et al., 2009, A&A, 507, 301
Drout, M. R., Massey, P., & Meynet, G. 2012, ApJ, 750, 97
Egan, M. P., Price, S. D., Kraemer, K. E., et al. 2003, VizieR Online Data Catalog: V/114, 0
Ekström, S., Georgy, C., Eggenberger, P. et al., 2012, A&A, 537, A146
Ensman, L. M., & Woosley, S. E. 1988, ApJ, 333, 754
Fallon, F. W. 1983, Transactions of the Astronomical Observatory of Yale University, 32, 1
Gorlova, N., Lobel, A., Burgasser, A. J. et al., 2006, ApJ, 651, 1130
Gould, B. A. 1879, Resultados del Observatorio Nacional Argentino, 1
Grasdalen, G. L., Hackwell, J. A., Gehrz, R. D., & McClain, D. 1979, ApJ, 234, L129
Gray, D. F. 1992, The observation and analysis of stellar photospheres
Groh, J. H., Damineli, A., Hillier, D. J. et al., 2009 a, ApJ, 705, L25
Groh, J. H., Hillier, D. J., Damineli, A. et al., 2009 b, ApJ, 698, 1698
Grundstrom, E. D., Gies, D. R., Hillwig, T. C. et al., 2007, ApJ, 667, 505
Harvey, G. M. 1972, Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of South Africa, 31, 81
Haubois, X., Perrin, G., Lacour, S. et al., 2009, A&A, 508, 923
Humphreys, R. M., Strecker, D. W., & Ney, E. P. 1971, ApJ, 167, L35
Humphreys, R. M., Davidson, K., Grammer, S. et al., 2013, ApJ, 773, 46
Hutsemékers, D., Cox, N. L. J., & Vamvatira-Nakou, C. 2013, A&A, 552, L6
Ishihara, D., Onaka, T., Kataza, H. et al., 2010, A&A, 514, A1
Jackson, J., & Stoy, R. H. 1958, Annals of the Cape Observatory, 20
Karr, J. L., Manoj, P., & Ohashi, N. 2009, ApJ, 697, 133
Keenan, P. C., & Pitts, R. E. 1980, ApJS, 42, 541
Klochkova, V. G., Chentsov, E. L., & Panchuk, V. E. 1997, MNRAS, 292, 19
Kochanek, C. S. 2009, ApJ, 707, 1578
Kraus, M., Oksala, M. E., Nickeler, D. H. et al., 2013, A&A, 549, A28
Kraus, S., Calvet, N., Hartmann, L. et al., 2012, ApJ, 746, L2
Lagadec, E., Zijlstra, A. A., Oudmaijer, R. D. et al., 2011, A&A, 534, L10
Lamers, H. J. G. L. M., Zickgraf, F.-J., de Winter, D., Houziaux, L., & Zorec, J. 1998, A&A, 340, 117
Laney, C. D., & Stobie, R. S. 1992, in Variable Stars and Galaxies, in honor of M. W. Feast on his retirement, ed. B. Warner, ASP Conf. Ser., 30, 119
Laney, C. D., & Stobie, R. S. 1993, MNRAS, 263, 921
Lenz, P., & Breger, M. 2005, Commun. Asteroseismol., 146, 53
Lobel, A. 2001, ApJ, 558, 780
Lobel, A., Dupree, A. K., Stefanik, R. P. et al., 2003, ApJ, 583, 923
Lobel, A., de Jager, K., & Nieuwenhuijzen, H. 2013, in ASP Conf. Ser. 470, eds. G. Pugliese, A. de Koter, & M. Wijburg, 167
Lopez, B., Antonelli, P., Wolf, S., et al. 2008, in SPIE Conf. Ser., 7013
Manfroid, J., Sterken, C., Bruch, A. et al., 1991, A&AS, 87, 481
Martayan, C., Lobel, A., Baade, D., et al. 2012, in Circumstellar Dynamics at High Resolution, eds. A. C. Carciofi, & T. Rivinius, ASP Conf. Ser., 464, 293
Meilland, A., Kanaan, S., Borges Fernandes, M. et al., 2010, A&A, 512, A73
Millour, F., Valat, B., Petrov, R. G., & Vannier, M. 2008, in SPIE Conf. Ser., 7013
Millour, F., Chesneau, O., Borges Fernandes, M. et al., 2009, A&A, 507, 317
Millour, F., Meilland, A., Chesneau, O. et al., 2011, A&A, 526, A107
Millour, F., Meilland, A., Stee, P., & Chesneau, O. 2013, in Lect. Notes Phys. 857, eds. J.-P. Rozelot, & C. Neiner (Berlin: Springer Verlag), 149
Mourard, D., Clausse, J. M., Marcotto, A. et al., 2009, A&A, 508, 1073
Neugent, K. F., Massey, P., Skiff, B., & Meynet, G. 2012, ApJ, 749, 177
Nieuwenhuijzen, H., & de Jager, C. 1995, A&A, 302, 811
Nieuwenhuijzen, H., De Jager, C., Kolka, I. et al., 2012, A&A, 546, A105
Odenwald, S. F. 1986, ApJ, 307, 711
Oskinova, L. M., Ignace, R., Hamann, W.-R., Pollock, A. M. T., & Brown, J. C. 2003, A&A, 402, 755
Oudmaijer, R. D., & de Wit, W. J. 2013, A&A, 551, A69
Oudmaijer, R. D., Groenewegen, M. A. T., Matthews, H. E., Blommaert, J. A. D. L., & Sahu, K. C. 1996, MNRAS, 280, 1062
Oudmaijer, R. D., Davies, B., de Wit, W.-J., & Patel, M. 2009, in The Biggest, Baddest, Coolest Stars, eds. D. G. Luttermoser, B. J. Smith, & R. E. Stencel, ASP Conf. Ser., 412, 17
Petrov, R. G., Malbet, F., Weigelt, G. et al., 2007, A&A, 464, 1
Pojmanski, G. 2002, Acta Astron., 52, 397
Prieto, J. L., Stanek, K. Z., Kochanek, C. S. et al., 2008, ApJ, 673, L59
Rayner, J. T., Cushing, M. C., & Vacca, W. D. 2009, ApJS, 185, 289
Sana, H., de Mink, S. E., de Koter, A. et al., 2012, Science, 337, 444
Schuster, M. T. 2007, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Minnesota
Schuster, M. T., Humphreys, R. M., & Marengo, M. 2006, AJ, 131, 603
Simón-Díaz, S., Herrero, A., Uytterhoeven, K. et al., 2010, ApJ, 720, L174
Smith, N. 2007, AJ, 133, 1034
Smith, N., Humphreys, R. M., Davidson, K. et al., 2001, AJ, 121, 1111
Smith, N., Vink, J. S., & de Koter, A. 2004, ApJ, 615, 475
Smith, N., Gehrz, R. D., Campbell, R. et al., 2011 a, MNRAS, 418, 1959
Smith, N., Li, W., Filippenko, A. V., & Chornock, R. 2011 b, MNRAS, 412, 1522
Sterken, C. 1983, The Messenger, 33, 10
Sterken, C., Manfroid, J., Anton, K. et al., 1993, A&AS, 102, 79
Stickland, D. J. 1985, The Observatory, 105, 229
Stickland, D. J., & Harmer, D. L. 1978, A&A, 70, L53
Stothers, R. B. 2012, ApJ, 751, 151
Tatulli, E., Millour, F., Chelli, A. et al., 2007, A&A, 464, 29
Thome, J. M. 1932, Cordoba Durchmusterung. Brightness and position of every fixed star down to the 10. magnitude comprised in the belt of the heavens between 22 and 90 degrees of southern declination-Vol.21 A:-52 deg. to-62 deg.-Vol.21 B:-62 deg. to-90 deg. (Cordoba: Publicado por el Observatorio)
Tiffany, C., Humphreys, R. M., Jones, T. J., & Davidson, K. 2010, AJ, 140, 339
van Genderen, A. M. 1992, A&A, 257, 177
van Leeuwen, F., van Genderen, A. M., & Zegelaar, I. 1998, A&AS, 128, 117
Vanzi, L., Chacon, J., Helminiak, K. G. et al., 2012, MNRAS, 424, 2770
Wang, Y., Weigelt, G., Kreplin, A. et al., 2012, A&A, 545, L10
Warren, P. R. 1973, MNRAS, 161, 427
Wheelwright, H. E., de Wit, W. J., Weigelt, G., Oudmaijer, R. D., & Ilee, J. D. 2012, A&A, 543, A77
Wichmann, R. 2011, Nightfall: Animated Views of Eclipsing Binary Stars, astrophysics Source Code Library, ascl: 1106.016
Wilson, R. E. 1994, PASP, 106, 921
Wittkowski, M., Hauschildt, P. H., Arroyo-Torres, B., & Marcaide, J. M. 2012, A&A, 540, L12
Yamamura, I., Makiuti, S., Ikeda, N., et al. 2010, VizieR Online Data Catalog: II/298
