Ensemble Pulsational Characteristics of beta Cep pulsators in eclipsing binaries
Abstract
Fast rotating massive pulsators in eclipsing binaries are ideal candidates for studying interior mixingand angular momentum transport in massive stars. Different mixing processes such as convectiveovershooting, which transports only matter, and convective penetration, which transports both matterand heat, occur at the boundary between the convective and the radiative layers in a massive star.These processes increase the core mass of the star and are also strongly affected by fast internalrotation. Fast internal rotation also diminishes the effect of tidal forces, often resulting in non-synchronous rotation, and causes rotational mode splitting, complicating mode identification. Thisstudy investigates the pulsational characteristics and their impact on the structure and evolution of fast-rotating β Cep pulsators in eclipsing binaries. Here, we analyse an ensemble of 73 such systems,identify rotationally split modes where possible, and statistically derive the dependence of pulsationalproperties on stellar and binary dynamical parameters. Interior properties of the systems were alsoderived using pre-computed grids of stellar structure models using MESA and associated pulsationfrequencies using GYRE. The rotational parameters are also derived for 15 systems exhibiting clearrotational mode spliting. The inferred properties provide new insights into the structure andevolutionary pathways of β Cep stars in binary systems.