Assess whether α Ori B can modulate circumstellar dust

Ascertain, based on the inferred orbital parameters of the proposed companion α Ori B (orbital period ≈2169 days, separation a ≈1850±70 R⊙ ≈2.43 R*, and M2 sin i = 1.17±0.07 M⊙), whether α Ori B is capable of physically modulating Betelgeuse’s circumstellar dust sufficiently to produce the observed Long Secondary Period behavior; evaluate plausible mechanisms such as dynamical interactions within the companion’s Hill sphere and irradiation effects dependent on the companion’s age and radiation field.

Background

After deriving orbital characteristics for a hypothesized companion (α Ori B) that would set the LSP timescale and match the radial-velocity modulation, the authors emphasize that the ability to alter dust near the companion is not guaranteed by dynamics alone. They highlight that irradiation effects depend on the companion’s age and spectrum, while gravitational influence scales with the Hill sphere, leaving the efficacy of dust modulation uncertain.

Resolving whether α Ori B can modulate dust is central to validating the proposed binarity-based explanation of Betelgeuse’s LSP and its distinctive lightcurve–radial-velocity phase offset.