Hidden massive eclipsing binaries in red supergiant systems: The hierarchical triple system KQ Puppis and other candidates

Abstract: The majority of massive stars are part of binary systems that may interact during their evolution. This has important consequences for systems in which one star develops into a Red supergiant (RSG); however, not many RSGs are known binaries. We aim to better constrain the properties of some of the known RSGs in binaries. We first focus on the VV Cephei type RSG KQ Pup (RSG+B-type companion, orbital period of 26 yr), where we have enough data to constrain the system's properties. We use archival photometry and UV spectroscopy, along with newly taken optical spectra and interferometric data. For KQ Pup, as well as for all other Galactic RSGs, we also analyzed the available TESS data. Using TESS photometry, we discovered eclipses with a period of $17.2596 : \rm d$, associated with the hot B companion, making it a Ba+Bb pair. Meanwhile, the detection of the hydrogen Br$\gamma$ line with VLTI-GRAVITY enabled us to track the orbital motion of the KQ Pup Ba+Bb pair and thus to determine the astrometric orbit. The dynamical masses agree with independent estimates from asteroseismology and evolutionary models. The results give a mass of $\sim 9 : \rm M_{\odot}$ for the RSG and $\sim 14 : \rm M_{\odot}$ for the sum of the hot components Ba+Bb. The observed properties of the system are compatible with a coeval hierarchical triple-star, where we constrain the minimum mass of KQ Pup Bb as $\gtrsim 1.2 : \rm M_{\odot}$. The variability of Balmer lines and the detection of Br$\gamma$ represent a strong signature of Wind Roche Lobe Overflow, with enhanced signatures of disk-accretion to the Ba+Bb pair during the periastron. Meanwhile, TESS light curves show that about $\sim 10 \%$ of known Galactic binary RSGs may be eclipsing hierarchical triple systems, which suggests that a large fraction of other binary RSGs could also be triples.