NLTE spectral analysis of the sdOB primary of the eclipsing binary system LB 3459 (AA Dor)

Abstract

We present a spectral analysis of the sdOB primary star of the binary system LB 3459 based on high-resolution high-S/N optical and UV spectra. The metal abundances are determined by means of state-of-the-art NLTE model atmospheres. We determined T_effw42 and log gw{5.2} within very small error limits. The He (1/125 solar), C (1/265), N (1/33), O (1/12), and Si (1/5) abundances appear strongly depleted while that of Fe and Ni are roughly solar and Mg is strongly enriched by a factor of 6. The spectroscopic distance to LB 3459 is d = 396 pc. The mass of the primary component of LB 3459 is 0.330 M_sun derived from comparisons with theoretical models for sdO stars in the log T_eff - \log g plane. The mass of the secondary is then 0.066 M_sun derived from the mass function. There remains some disagreement between the radius derived from log g and the above mass, and that derived from analysis of the radial-velocity curve and the eclipse curves. LB 3459 is a close binary system which had experienced a common envelope (CE) phase during its evolution. It fits in the ``low mass case B'' scenario of Iben & Livio (1993) and the secondary is a brown dwarf. The spectroscopically determined rotational velocity of the primary is v_rot = 34 ± 10 km* sec^-1. Thus even bound rotation (v_rot = 45.7 km* sec^-1) cannot be ruled out. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile (proposals 55.D-0319, 56.C-0165) and on data retrieved from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) Final Archive.