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Based on a set of over 100 medium- to high-resolution optical spectra collected from 2003 to 2009, we investigate the properties of the O-type star population in NGC 6611 in the core of the Eagle Nebula (M16). Using a much more extended data set than previously available, we revise the spectral classification and multiplicity status of the nine O-type stars in our sample. We confirm two suspected binaries and derive the first SB2 orbital solutions for two systems. We further report that two other objects are displaying a composite spectrum, suggesting possible long-period binaries. Our analysis is supported by a set of Monte Carlo simulations, allowing us to estimate the detection biases of our campaign and showing that the latter do not affect our conclusions. The absolute minimal binary fraction in our sample is but could be as high as 0.67 if all the binary candidates are confirmed. As in NGC 6231 (see Paper I), up to 75 per cent of the O star population in NGC 6611 are found in an O+OB system, thus implicitly excluding random pairing from a classical IMF as a process to describe the companion association in massive binaries. No statistical difference could be further identified in the binary fraction, mass-ratio and period distributions between NGC 6231 and NGC 6611, despite the difference in age and environment of the two clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of a long-term high-resolution spectroscopy campaign on the O-type stars in NGC 6231. We revise the spectral classification and multiplicity of these objects and we constrain the fundamental properties of the O-star population. Almost three quarters of the O-type stars in the cluster are members of a binary system. The minimum binary fraction is 0.63, with half the O-type binaries having an orbital period of the order of a few days. The eccentricities of all the short-period binaries are revised downward, and henceforth match a normal period–eccentricity distribution. The mass ratio distribution shows a large preference for O + OB binaries, ruling out the possibility that, in NGC 6231, the companion of an O-type star is randomly drawn from a standard initial mass function. Obtained from a complete and homogeneous population of O-type stars, our conclusions provide interesting observational constraints to be confronted with the formation and early evolution theories of O-stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of an optical spectroscopic campaign on the massive binary HD 152219 located near the core of the NGC 6231 cluster. Though the primary to secondary optical brightness ratio is probably about 10, we clearly detect the secondary spectral signature and we derive the first reliable SB2 orbital solution for the system. The orbital period is close to 4.2403 d and the orbit is slightly eccentric . The system is most probably formed by an O9.5 giant and a B1-2 V-III star. We derive minimal masses of and for the primary and secondary, respectively, and we constrain the stellar radius at values about 11 and . INTEGRAL-Optical Monitoring Camera (OMC) data reveal that HD 152219 is the third O-type eclipsing binary known in NGC 6231. In the Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagram, the primary component lies on the blue edge of the β Cep-type instability strip and its spectral lines display clear profile variations that are reminiscent of those expected from non-radial pulsations. Finally, we report the analysis of XMM–Newton observations of the system. The X-ray spectrum is relatively soft and is well reproduced by a two-temperature mekal model with and . The X-ray flux is most probably variable on a time-scale of days. The average X-ray luminosity during our campaign is , but shows fluctuations of about 10 per cent around this value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first results of an XMM–Newton monitoring campaign of the open cluster NGC 6231 in the Sco OB 1 association. This first paper focuses on the massive colliding-wind binary HD 152248, which is the brightest X-ray source of the cluster. The campaign, with a total duration of 180 ks, was split into six separate observations, following the orbital motion of HD 152248. The X-ray flux from this system presents a clear, asymmetric modulation with the phase and ranges from 0.73 to in the 0.5–10.0 keV energy band. The maximum of the emission is reached slightly after apastron. The EPIC spectra are quite soft, and peak around 0.8–0.9 keV. We characterize their shape using several combinations of mekal models and power-law spectra and we detect significant spectral variability in the 0.5–2.5 keV energy band. We also perform 2D hydrodynamical simulations using different sets of parameters that closely reproduce the physical and orbital configuration of the HD 152248 system at the time of the six XMM–Newton pointings. This allows a direct confrontation of the model predictions with the constraints deduced from the X-ray observations of the system. We show that the observed variation of the flux can be explained by a variation of the X-ray emission from the colliding-wind zone, diluted by the softer X-ray contribution of the two O-type stars of the system. Our simulations also reveal that the interaction region of HD 152248 should be highly unstable, giving rise to shells of dense gas that are separated by low-density regions. Finally, we perform a search for short-term variability in the light curves of the system and we show that trends are present within several of the 30-ks exposures of our campaign. Further, most of these trends are in good agreement with the orbital motion and provide a direct constraint on the first-order derivative of the flux. In the same context, we also search for long-range correlations in the X-ray data of the system, but we only marginally detect them in the high-energy tail of the signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of a spectroscopic monitoring campaign devoted to three O-type stars in the Carina nebula. We derive the full SB2 orbital solution of the binary system Tr 16-112, an exceptional dissymmetrical system consisting of an O5.5–6 V((f+?p)) primary and a B2 V-III secondary. We also report on low-amplitude brightness variations in Tr 16-112 that are likely due to the ellipsoidal shape of the O5.5–6 primary revolving in an eccentric orbit around the system's centre of mass. We detect for the first time a clear SB2 binary signature in the spectrum of HD 93343 (O8 + O8), although our data are not sufficient to establish an orbital solution. This system also displays low-amplitude photometric modulations. On the other hand, no indication of multiplicity is found in the optical spectra of HD 93250. Finally, we discuss the general properties of multiple massive stars in the Carina OB1 association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this second paper of the series, we pursue the analysis of the 180-ks XMM–Newton campaign towards the young open cluster NGC 6231 and we focus on its rich OB star population. We present a literature-based census of the OB stars in the field of view with more than one hundred objects, among which 30 per cent can be associated with an X-ray source. All the O-type stars are detected in the X-ray domain as soft and reasonably strong emitters. In the 0.5–10.0 keV band, their X-ray luminosities scale with their bolometric luminosities as . Such a scaling law holds in the soft (0.5–1.0 keV) and intermediate (1.0–2.5 keV) bands but breaks down in the hard band. While the two colliding wind binaries in our sample clearly deviate from this scheme, the remaining O-type objects show a very limited dispersion (40 or 20 per cent according to whether ‘cool’ dwarfs are included or not), much smaller than that obtained from previous studies. At our detection threshold and with our sample, the sole identified mechanism that produces significant modulations in the O star X-ray emission is related to wind interaction. We thus propose that the intrinsic X-ray emission of non-peculiar O-type stars can be considered as constant for a given star. In addition, the level of X-ray emission is accurately related to the star luminosity or, equivalently, to its wind properties. Among B-type stars, the detection rate is only about 25 per cent in the subtype range B0–B4 and remains mostly uniform throughout the different subpopulations while it drops significantly at later subtypes. The associated X-ray spectra are harder than those of O-type stars. Our analysis points towards the detected emission being associated with a physical (in a multiple system) PMS companion. However, we still observe a correlation between the bolometric luminosity of the B stars and the measured X-ray luminosity. The best-fitting power law in the 0.5–10.0 keV band yields . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the orbital elements of the multiple system Tr 16-104 which is usually believed to be a member of the open cluster Trumpler 16 in the Carina complex. We show that Tr 16-104 could be a hierarchical triple system consisting of a short-period (2.15 d) eclipsing O7 V+O9.5 V binary bound to a B0.2 IV star. Our preliminary orbital solution of the third body indicates that the B star most probably describes an eccentric orbit with a period of ∼285 or ∼1341 d around the close binary. Folding photometric data from the literature with our new ephemerides, we find that the light curve of the close binary exhibits rather narrow eclipses indicating that the two O stars must be well inside their Roche lobes. Our analysis of the photometric data yields a lower limit on the inclination of the orbit of the close binary of i≥77°. The stellar radii and luminosities of the O7 V and O9.5 V stars are significantly smaller than expected for stars of this spectral type. Our results suggest that Tr 16-104 lies at a distance of the order of 2.5 kpc and support a fainter absolute magnitude for zero-age main-sequence O stars than usually adopted. We find that the dynamical configuration of Tr 16-104 corresponds to a hierarchical system that should remain stable provided that it suffers no strong perturbation. Finally, we also report long-term temporal variations of high-velocity interstellar Ca iiabsorptions in the line of sight towards Tr 16-104. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]