IvS Seminar: Rhys Seeburger (03/10/2024)
Rhys Seeburger - "A detailed analysis of a sample of black hole impostoring post-mass-transfer binaries" (IvS seminar 03/10/2024)
Abstract: Post-mass-transfer binaries (PMTBs) have recently drawn attention in the context of the search for black hole binaries, and have aquired a reputation as black hole impostors. Most of the initially promising black hole binaries advocated in Gaia DR3 appear to be such PMTBs. But, of course, they are astrophysically interesting systems by themselves. Here we present disentangled spectra for six of these systems drawing on 10 epoch spectra from FEROS to characterize the state of both components. Spectral disentangling allows us to analyse the component spectra individually, determining relevant stellar parameters and placing tighter constraints than SED fits alone. This, in turn, provides important insight into the details of mass transfer and the associated spin-up of the accretor, processes fundamental to binary evolution.