Hidden Companions to Intermediate-mass Stars. XIV. Discovery of a 1.8 M ⊙, 0.3 au Companion to Ascella = Zeta Sagittarii A*

Abstract

Abstract Zeta Sagittarii is a nearby intermediate mass 13.2 au visual binary. Here we report on a VLTI/GRAVITY interferometric observation that revealed that ζ Sgr is actually a rather compact triple system: the visual primary Ascella (A) is a close equal mass ρ = 10.9 mas ↔ 0.3 au binary. Through isochrone fitting we find masses M Aa = 1.83M ⊙, M Ab = 1.81M ⊙ and M B = 2.03M ⊙. The hierarchy of the triple is low enough to allow for possibly interesting dynamical effects and its ultimate outcome will be a double or triple white dwarf system. We estimate that about 1 Myr ago ζ Sgr passed within a minimum distance of the Sun of 11 pc, rather than 3 pc as previously reported.