Discovery of ${\hat{I}}^2$ Cep pulsations in the eclipsing binary V453 Cygni

Abstract

V453 Cyg is an eclipsing binary containing 14 Msun and 11 Msun stars in an eccentric short-period orbit. We have discovered ${\hat{I}}^2$ Cep-type pulsations in this system using TESS data. We identify seven significant pulsation frequencies, between 2.37 and 10.51 d${}^{-1}$, in the primary star. These include six frequencies which are separated by yet significantly offset from harmonics of the orbital frequency, indicating they are tidally-perturbed modes. We have determined the physical properties of the system to high precision: V453 Cyg A is the first ${\hat{I}}^2$ Cep pulsator with a precise mass measurement. The system is a vital tracer of the physical processes that govern the evolution of massive single and binary stars.

Accepted for publication as a Letter by MNRAS. 5 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables