Detection of frequency spacings in the young O-type binary HD 46149 from CoRoT photometry

P. Degroote, M. Briquet, M. Auvergne, S. Simón-Díaz, C. Aerts, A. Noels, M. Rainer, M. Hareter, E. Poretti, L. Mahy

Abstract

Using the CoRoT space based photometry of the O-type binary HD46149, stellar atmospheric effects related to rotation can be separated from pulsations, because they leave distinct signatures in the light curve. This offers the possibility of characterising and exploiting any pulsations seismologically. Combining high-quality space based photometry, multi-wavelength photometry, spectroscopy and constraints imposed by binarity and cluster membership, the detected pulsations in HD46149 are analyzed and compared with those for a grid of stellar evolutionary models in a proof-of-concept approach. We present evidence of solar-like oscillations in a massive O-type star, and show that the observed frequency range and spacings are compatible with theoretical predictions. Thus, we unlock and confirm the strong potential of this seismically unexplored region in the HR diagram.

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