Detection of a white dwarf companion to a blue straggler star in the outskirts of globular cluster NGC 5466 with the ultraviolet imaging telescope (UVIT)

Abstract

We report the discovery of a hot white dwarf (WD) companion to a blue straggler star (BSS) in the globular cluster (GC) NGC 5466, based on observations from the Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) on board AstroSat. The Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of the Far-UV detected BSS NH 84 was constructed by combining the flux measurements from four filters of UVIT, with GALEX, GAIA, and other ground-based observations. The SED of NH 84 reveals the presence of a hot companion to the BSS. The temperature and radius of the BSS (Teff = 8000 250 1000 = -+ K, R/R = 1.44 0.05) derived from Gemini spectra and SED fitting using Kurucz atmospheric models are consistent with each other. The temperature and radius of the hotter companion of NH 84 (Teff = 32,000 +-2000 K, R/R = 0.021 0.007) derived by fitting Koester WD models to the SED suggest that it is likely to be a hot WD. The radial velocity derived from the spectra along with the proper motion from GAIA DR2 confirms NH 84 to be a kinematic member of the cluster. This is the second detection of a BSS-WD candidate in a GC, and the first in the outskirts of a low-density GC. The location of this BSS in NGC 5466 along with its dynamical age supports the mass-transfer pathway for BSS formation in low-density environments.