Misaligned spin and orbital axes cause the anomalous precession of DI Herculis

Simon Albrecht (), Sabine Reffert, Ignas A. G. Snellen and Joshua N. Winn
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Simon Albrecht: Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
Sabine Reffert: Zentrum für Astronomie Heidelberg, Landessternwarte, Königstuhl 12, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Ignas A. G. Snellen: Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
Joshua N. Winn: and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

Nature, 2009, vol. 461, issue 7262, 373-376

Abstract: Herculean task achieved DI Herculis is well known to astrophysicists as a binary star system with an orbit that precesses (changes orientation) at a rate that seemingly cannot be accounted for by conventional physics and stellar models. Many theories have been offered to explain this anomaly, including a failure of general relativity, a 'circumbinary' planet and an unprecedentedly large tilt between the spin axes of the stars and the orbital axis. Now this long-standing mystery has been solved. Analysis of spectra obtained during a series of binary eclipses reveals that both stars in the binary are tipped over on their sides, rotating with their spin axes nearly perpendicular to the orbital axis. The slow precession arises from extra forces associated with the stars being on their 'sides'.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08408

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