Ba Enrichment in Gaia MS+WD Binaries: Tracing s-process Element Production
A large population of intermediate-separation binaries, consisting of a main-sequence (MS) star and a white dwarf (WD), recently emerged from Gaia’s third data release (DR3), posing challenges to current models of binary evolution. Here we examine the s -process element abundances in these systems u...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad77b9 |
| _version_ | 1827099071379144704 |
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| author | Param Rekhi Sagi Ben-Ami Na’ama Hallakoun Sahar Shahaf Silvia Toonen Hans-Walter Rix |
| author_facet | Param Rekhi Sagi Ben-Ami Na’ama Hallakoun Sahar Shahaf Silvia Toonen Hans-Walter Rix |
| author_sort | Param Rekhi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A large population of intermediate-separation binaries, consisting of a main-sequence (MS) star and a white dwarf (WD), recently emerged from Gaia’s third data release (DR3), posing challenges to current models of binary evolution. Here we examine the s -process element abundances in these systems using data from GALAH DR3. Following refined sample analysis with parameter estimates based on GALAH spectra, we find a distinct domain where enhanced s -process elemental abundances depend on both the WD mass and metallicity, consistent with parameter spaces identified in previous asymptotic giant branch (AGB) nucleosynthesis studies having higher s -process yields. Notably, these enhanced abundances show no correlation with the systems’ orbital parameters, supporting a history of accretion in intermediate-separation MS+WD systems. Consequently, our results form direct observational evidence of a connection between AGB masses and s -process yields. We conclude by showing that the GALAH DR3 survey includes numerous Ba dwarf stars, within and beyond the mass range covered in our current sample, which can further elucidate s -process element distributions in MS+WD binaries. |
| first_indexed | 2025-03-20T07:57:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-212a6f01a8954ba5995f09e924b61893 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-20T07:57:37Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-212a6f01a8954ba5995f09e924b618932024-09-29T02:17:00ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052024-01-019732L5610.3847/2041-8213/ad77b9Ba Enrichment in Gaia MS+WD Binaries: Tracing s-process Element ProductionParam Rekhi0https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3501-7852Sagi Ben-Ami1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6760-3074Na’ama Hallakoun2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0430-7793Sahar Shahaf3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9298-8068Silvia Toonen4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2998-7940Hans-Walter Rix5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4996-9069Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 7610001, Israel ; param.rekhi@weizmann.ac.ilDepartment of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 7610001, Israel ; param.rekhi@weizmann.ac.ilDepartment of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 7610001, Israel ; param.rekhi@weizmann.ac.ilDepartment of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 7610001, Israel ; param.rekhi@weizmann.ac.ilAnton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam , 1090 GE Amsterdam, The NetherlandsMax-Planck Institute for Astronomy , Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, GermanyA large population of intermediate-separation binaries, consisting of a main-sequence (MS) star and a white dwarf (WD), recently emerged from Gaia’s third data release (DR3), posing challenges to current models of binary evolution. Here we examine the s -process element abundances in these systems using data from GALAH DR3. Following refined sample analysis with parameter estimates based on GALAH spectra, we find a distinct domain where enhanced s -process elemental abundances depend on both the WD mass and metallicity, consistent with parameter spaces identified in previous asymptotic giant branch (AGB) nucleosynthesis studies having higher s -process yields. Notably, these enhanced abundances show no correlation with the systems’ orbital parameters, supporting a history of accretion in intermediate-separation MS+WD systems. Consequently, our results form direct observational evidence of a connection between AGB masses and s -process yields. We conclude by showing that the GALAH DR3 survey includes numerous Ba dwarf stars, within and beyond the mass range covered in our current sample, which can further elucidate s -process element distributions in MS+WD binaries.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad77b9Astrometric binary starsBarium starsWhite dwarf starsAsymptotic giant branch starsPost-asymptotic giant branch starsS-process |
| spellingShingle | Param Rekhi Sagi Ben-Ami Na’ama Hallakoun Sahar Shahaf Silvia Toonen Hans-Walter Rix Ba Enrichment in Gaia MS+WD Binaries: Tracing s-process Element Production The Astrophysical Journal Letters Astrometric binary stars Barium stars White dwarf stars Asymptotic giant branch stars Post-asymptotic giant branch stars S-process |
| title | Ba Enrichment in Gaia MS+WD Binaries: Tracing s-process Element Production |
| title_full | Ba Enrichment in Gaia MS+WD Binaries: Tracing s-process Element Production |
| title_fullStr | Ba Enrichment in Gaia MS+WD Binaries: Tracing s-process Element Production |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ba Enrichment in Gaia MS+WD Binaries: Tracing s-process Element Production |
| title_short | Ba Enrichment in Gaia MS+WD Binaries: Tracing s-process Element Production |
| title_sort | ba enrichment in gaia ms wd binaries tracing s process element production |
| topic | Astrometric binary stars Barium stars White dwarf stars Asymptotic giant branch stars Post-asymptotic giant branch stars S-process |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad77b9 |
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