Chemical abundances in the secondary star of the black hole binary V4641 Sagittarii (SAX J1819.3-2525)

Sadakane, Kozo*; Arai, Akira*; Aoki, Wako*; Arimoto, Nobuo*; Hidai, Masahide*; Onishi, Takashi*; Tajitsu, Akito*; Beers, T. C.*; Iwamoto, Nobuyuki; Tominaga, Nozomu*; et al.

Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, 58(3), p.595 - 604, 2006/06

https://doi.org/10.1093/pasj/58.3.595

We report detailed spectroscopic studies performed for the secondary star in the black hole binary (micro-quasar) V4641 Sgr in order to examine its surface chemical composition and to see if its surface shows any signature of pollution by ejecta from a supernova explosion. We obtain abundances of 10 elements and find definite over-abundances of N (by 0.8 dex or more) and Na (by 0.8 dex) in V4641 Sgr. From line-by-line comparisons of eight other elements (C, O, Mg, Al, Si, Ti, Cr, Fe) between V4641 Sgr and the two normal late B-type stars, which have been reported to have solar abundances. An evolutionary model of a massive close binary system has been constructed to explain the abundances observed in V4641 Sgr. The model suggests that the BH forming supernova in this system was a dark one.