Search

PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is ESA's M3 mission designed to detect and characterise extrasolar planets and perform asteroseismic monitoring of a large number of stars. PLATO will detect small planets (down to <2 R_(Earth)) around bright stars (<11 mag), including terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. With the complement of radial velocity observations from the ground, planets will be characterised for their radius, mass, and age with high accuracy (5 %, 10 %, 10 % for an Earth-Sun combination respectively). PLATO will provide us with a large-scale catalogue of well-characterised small planets up to intermediate orbital periods, relevant for a meaningful comparison to planet formation theories and to better understand planet evolution. It will make possible comparative exoplanetology to place our Solar System planets in a broader context. In parallel, PLATO will study (host) stars using asteroseismology, allowing us to determine the stellar properties with high accuracy, substantially enhancing our knowledge of stellar structure and evolution. The payload instrument consists of 26 cameras with 12cm aperture each. For at least four years, the mission will perform high-precision photometric measurements. Here we review the science objectives, present PLATO's target samples and fields, provide an overview of expected core science performance as well as a description of the instrument and the mission profile at the beginning of the serial production of the flight cameras. PLATO is scheduled for a launch date end 2026. This overview therefore provides a summary of the mission to the community in preparation of the upcoming operational phases.

Westerlund 1 (Wd 1) is one of the most relevant star clusters in the Milky Way to study massive star formation, although it is still poorly known. Here, we used photometric and spectroscopic data to model the eclipsing binary W36, showing that its spectral type is O6.5 III + O9.5 IV, hotter and more luminous than thought before. Its distance $d_{\rm W36}$ $=$ 4.03$\pm$0.25 kpc agrees, within the errors, with three recent Gaia-EDR3-based distances reported in Paper I, Beasor & Davies, and by Negueruela's group. However, they follow different approaches to fix the zero-points for red sources such as those in Wd 1 and to select the best approach, we used an accurate modelling of W36. The weighted mean distance of our parallax (Paper I) and binary distances results in $d_{\rm wd1}$ = 4.05 $\pm$0.20 kpc, with an unprecedented accuracy of 5%. We adopted isochrones based on the Geneva code with supersolar abundances to infer the age of W36B as 6.4 $\pm$ 0.7 Myr. This object seems to be part of the prolific star formation burst represented by OB giants and supergiants that occurred at 7.1 $\pm$ 0.5 Myr ago, which coincides with the recently published PMS isochrone with age 7.2 Myr. Other BA-type luminous evolved stars and Yellow Hypergiants spread in the age range of 8--11 Myr. The four Red Supergiants discussed in paper I represent the oldest population of the cluster with an age of 10.7 $\pm$ 1 Myr. The multiple episodes of star formation in Wd 1 are reminiscent of that reported for the R136/30 Dor LMC cluster., Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, 2 appendix (with one table)

Stellar-mass black holes are the final remnants of stars born with more than 15 solar masses. Billions are expected to reside in the Local Group, yet only few are known, mostly detected through X-rays emitted as they accrete material from a companion star. Here, we report on VFTS 243: a massive X-ray faint binary in the Large Magellanic Cloud. With an orbital period of 10.4-d, it comprises an O-type star of 25 solar masses and an unseen companion of at least nine solar masses. Our spectral analysis excludes a non-degenerate companion at a 5-sigma confidence level. The minimum companion mass implies that it is a black hole. No other X-ray quiet black hole is unambiguously known outside our Galaxy. The (near-)circular orbit and kinematics of VFTS 243 imply that the collapse of the progenitor into a black hole was associated with little or no ejected material or black-hole kick. Identifying such unique binaries substantially impacts the predicted rates of gravitational-wave detections and properties of core-collapse supernovae across the Cosmos., Comment: Accepted to Nature Astronomy, 64 pages, 15 figures, 2 tables; ESO press release: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2210/; Nat Asr paper URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-022-01730-y

Westerlund 1 (Wd 1) is one of the most massive young star clusters in the Milky Way. Although relevant for star formation and evolution, its fundamental parameters are not yet very well constrained. We aim to derive an accurate distance and provide constraints on the cluster age. We used the photometric and astrometric information available in the Gaia Early Data Release 3 (Gaia-EDR3) to infer its distance of 4.06$^{+0.36}_{-0.34}$ kpc. Modelling of the eclipsing binary system W36, reported in Paper II, led to the distance of 4.03$\pm$0.25 kpc, in agreement with the Gaia-EDR3 distance and, therefore, validating the parallax zero-point correction approach appropriate for red objects. The weighted average distance based on these two methods results in d$_{\rm wd1}$=4.05$\pm$0.20 kpc ($m-M$=13.04$^{+0.11}_{-0.12}$ mag), which has an unprecedented accuracy of 5%. Using the Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis (BPASS) models for the Red Supergiants with solar abundance, we derived an age of 10.7$\pm$1 Myr, in excellent agreement with recent work by Beasor & Davies (10.4$^{+1.3}_{-1.2}$ Myr) based on MIST evolutionary models. In Paper II, the age of W36B was reported to be 6.4$\pm$0.5 Myr, supporting recent claims of a temporal spread of several Myrs for the star-forming process within Wd 1 instead of a single monolithic starburst episode scenario., Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication at MNRAS on August 18th, 2022

We report the first unambiguous detection and mass measurement of an isolated stellar-mass black hole (BH). We used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to carry out precise astrometry of the source star of the long-duration (t_E~270 days), high-magnification microlensing event MOA-2011-BLG-191/OGLE-2011-BLG-0462 (hereafter designated as MOA-11-191/OGLE-11-462), in the direction of the Galactic bulge. HST imaging, conducted at eight epochs over an interval of six years, reveals a clear relativistic astrometric deflection of the background star's apparent position. Ground-based photometry of MOA-11-191/OGLE-11-462 shows a parallactic signature of the effect of the Earth's motion on the microlensing light curve. Combining the HST astrometry with the ground-based light curve and the derived parallax, we obtain a lens mass of 7.1 +/- 1.3 Msun and a distance of 1.58 +/- 0.18 kpc. We show that the lens emits no detectable light, which, along with having a mass higher than is possible for a white dwarf or neutron star, confirms its BH nature. Our analysis also provides an absolute proper motion for the BH. The proper motion is offset from the mean motion of Galactic-disk stars at similar distances by an amount corresponding to a transverse space velocity of ~45 km/s, suggesting that the BH received a 'natal kick' from its supernova explosion. Previous mass determinations for stellar-mass BHs have come from radial-velocity measurements of Galactic X-ray binaries, and from gravitational radiation emitted by merging BHs in binary systems in external galaxies. Our mass measurement is the first for an isolated stellar-mass BH using any technique., Comment: 37 pages, Published in ApJ

As potential progenitors of several exotic phenomena including gravitational wave sources, magnetic stars, and Be stars, close massive binary systems probe a crucial area of the parameter space in massive star evolution. Despite the importance of these systems, large uncertainties regarding the nature and efficiency of the internal mixing mechanisms still exist. In this work, we aim to provide robust observational constraints on the internal mixing processes by spectroscopically analyzing a sample of three massive overcontact binaries at different metallicities. Using optical phase-resolved spectroscopic data, we perform an atmosphere analysis using more traditional 1D techniques and using state-of-the-art 3D techniques. We compare and contrast the assumptions and results of each technique and investigate how the assumptions affect the final derived atmospheric parameters. We find that in all three cases, both components of system are highly overluminous indicating either efficient internal mixing of helium or previous non-conservative mass transfer. However, we do not find strong evidence of helium or CNO surface abundance changes usually associated with mixing. Additionally, we find that in unequal mass systems, the measured effective temperature and luminosity of the less massive component places it very close to the more massive component on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. These results were obtained independently using both of the techniques mentioned above, which suggests that these measurements are robust. The observed discrepancies between the temperature and the surface abundance measurements when compared to theoretical expectations indicate that unaccounted for additional physical mechanisms may be at play., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A; 28 pages, 20 figures

Eclipse timing variation analysis has become a powerful method to discover planets around binary systems. We applied this technique to investigate the eclipse times of GK Vir. This system is a post-common envelope binary with an orbital period of 8.26 h. Here, we present 10 new eclipse times obtained between 2013 and 2020. We calculated the O-C diagram using a linear ephemeris and verified a clear orbital period variation (OPV) with a cyclic behavior. We investigated if this variation could be explained by the Applegate mechanism, the apsidal motion, or the light travel time (LTT) effect. We found that the Applegate mechanism would hardly explain the OPV with its current theoretical description. We obtained using different approaches that the apsidal motion is a less likely explanation than the LTT effect. We showed that the LTT effect with one circumbinary body is the most likely cause for the OPV, which was reinforced by the orbital stability of the third body. The LTT best solution provided an orbital period of ~24 yr for the outer body. Under the assumption of coplanarity between the external body and the inner binary, we obtained a Jupiter-like planet around the GK Vir. In this scenario, the planet has one of the longest orbital periods, with a full observational baseline, discovered so far. However, as the observational baseline of GK Vir is smaller than twice the period found in the O-C diagram, the LTT solution must be taken as preliminary., Comment: 9 pages, 5 Figures, 3 tables. Published online by MNRAS on August 05, 2020

The high quality light curves from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) represent a unique laboratory for the study of stellar rotation, a fundamental observable driving stellar and planetary evolution, including planetary atmospheres and impacting on habitability conditions and the genesis of life around stars. As of April 14th 2020, this mission delivered public light curves for 1000 TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs), observed with 2 minute cadence during the first 20 months of the mission. Here, we present a search for rotation signatures in these TOIs, using Fast Fourier Transform, Lomb-Scargle, and wavelet techniques, accompanied by a rigorous visual inspection. This effort revealed 163 targets with rotation signatures, 131 of which present unambiguous rotation periods ranging from 0.321 and 13.219 days, whereas 32 of them present dubious rotation periodicities. One hundred and nine of these stars show flux fluctuations whose root-cause is not clearly identified. For 714 TOIs, the light curves show a noisy behavior, corresponding to typically low-amplitude signals. Our analysis has also revealed 10 TOI stars with pulsation periodicities ranging from 0.049 to 2.995 days and four eclipsing binaries. With upcoming TESS data releases, our periodicity analysis will be expanded to almost all TOI stars, thereby contributing in defining criteria for follow-up strategy itself, and the study of star-planet interactions, surface dynamic of host stars and habitability conditions in planets, among other aspects. In this context, a living catalog is maintained on the Filtergraph visualization portal at the URL https://filtergraph.com/tess_rotation_tois., Comment: 68 pages, 6 figures, Submitted to ApJS and accepted for publication on July 6, 2020

The massive O4.5 V + O5.5 V binary VFTS 352 in the Tarantula nebula is one of the shortest-period and most massive overcontact binaries known. Recent theoretical studies indicate that some of these systems could ultimately lead to the formation of gravitational waves via black hole binary mergers through the chemically homogeneous evolution pathway. By analyzing ultraviolet-optical phase-resolved spectroscopic data, we aim to constrain atmospheric and wind properties that could be later used to confront theoretical predictions from binary evolution. In particular, surface abundances are powerful diagnostics of the evolutionary status, mass transfer and the internal mixing processes. From a set of 32 VLT/FLAMES visual and 8 HST/COS ultraviolet spectra, we used spectral disentangling to separate the primary and secondary components. Using a genetic algorithm wrapped around the NLTE model atmosphere and spectral synthesis code FASTWIND, we perform an 11-parameter optimization to derive the atmospheric and wind parameters of both components, including the surface abundances of He, C, N, O and Si. We find that both components are hotter than expected compared to single-star evolutionary models indicating that additional mixing processes may be at play. However the derived chemical abundances do not show significant indications of mixing when adopting baseline values typical for the system environment., Comment: 24 pages, 4 tables, 12 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

In recent years, several close post-common-envelope eclipsing binaries have been found to show cyclic eclipse timing variations (ETVs). This effect is usually interpreted either as the gravitational interaction among circumbinary bodies and the host binary -- known as the light travel time (LTT) effect -- or as the quadrupole moment variations in one magnetic active component -- known as Applegate mechanism. In this study, we present an analysis of the ETV and the magnetic cycle of the close binary KIC 10544976. This system is composed of a white dwarf and a red dwarf in a short orbital period (0.35 days) and was monitored by ground-based telescopes between 2005 and 2017 and by the Kepler satellite between 2009 and 2013. Using the Kepler data, we derived the magnetic cycle of the red dwarf by two ways: the rate and energy of flares and the variability due to spots. Both methods resulted in a cycle of ~600 days, which is in agreement with magnetic cycles measured for single low-mass stars. The orbital period of KIC 10544976 shows only one long-term variation which can be fitted by an LTT effect with period of ~16.8 yr. Hence, one possible explanation for the ETVs is the presence of a circumbinary body with minimal mass of ~13.4 M_Jup. In the particular scenario of coplanarity between the external body and the inner binary, the third body mass is also ~13.4 M_Jup. In this case, the circumbinary planet must either have survived the evolution of the host binary or have been formed as a consequence of its evolution., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, Accepted to AJ

The interacting binary Eta Carinae remains one of the most enigmatic massive stars in our Galaxy despite over four centuries of observations. In this work, its light curve from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared is analysed using spatially resolved HST observations and intense monitoring at the La Plata Observatory, combined with previously published photometry. We have developed a method to separate the central stellar object in the ground-based images using HST photometry and applying it to the more numerous ground-based data, which supports the hypothesis that the central source is brightening faster than the almost-constant Homunculus. After detrending from long-term brightening, the light curve shows periodic orbital modulation ($\Delta V$ $\sim$ 0.6 mag) attributed to the wind-wind collision cavity as it sweeps around the primary star and it shows variable projected area to our line-of-sight. Two quasi-periodic components with time scales of 2-3 and 8-10 yr and low amplitude, $\Delta V$ $<$ 0.2 mag, are superimposed on the brightening light-curve, being the only stellar component of variability found, which indicates minimal stellar instability. Moreover, the light curve analysis shows no evidence of `shell ejections' at periastron. We propose that the long-term brightening of the stellar core is due to the dissipation of a dusty clump in front of the central star, which works like a natural coronagraph. Thus, the central stars appear to be more stable than previously thought since the dominant variability originates from a changing circumstellar medium. We predict that the brightening phase, due mainly to dust dissipation, will be completed around 2032 $\pm$ 4 yr, when the star will be brighter than in the 1600's by up to $\Delta V$ $\sim$ 1 mag., Comment: 26 pages, 19 figures. Accepted to appear on MNRAS

HW Vir systems are rare evolved eclipsing binaries composed by a hot compact star and a low-mass main-sequence star in a close orbit. These systems provide a direct way to measure the fundamental properties, e.g. masses and radii, of their components, hence they are crucial to study the formation of sdB stars and low-mass white dwarfs, the common-envelope phase, and the pre-phase of cataclysmic variables. Here we present a detailed study of HS 2231+2441, an HW Vir type system, by analysing BVR$_C$I$_C$ photometry and phase-resolved optical spectroscopy. The spectra of this system, which are dominated by the primary component features, were fitted using NLTE models providing effective temperature Teff = 28500$\pm$500 K, surface gravity log g = 5.40$\pm$0.05 cm s$^{-2}$, and helium abundance log(n(He)/n(H)) = -2.52$\pm$0.07. Geometrical orbit and physical parameters were derived by modelling simultaneously the photometric and spectroscopic data using the Wilson-Devinney code. We derive two possible solutions for HS 2231+2441 that provide component's masses: M$_1$ = 0.19 M$_{\odot}$ and M$_2$ = 0.036 M$_{\odot}$ or M$_1$ = 0.288 M$_{\odot}$ and M$_2$ = 0.046 M$_{\odot}$. Considering the possible evolutionary channels to form a compact hot star, the primary of HS 2231+2441 probably evolved through the red-giant branch scenario and does not have a helium-burning core, which is consistent with a low-mass white dwarf. Both solutions are consistent with a brown dwarf as the secondary., Comment: 9 Pages, 9 Figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS