Rediscussion of eclipsing binaries. Paper XVI. The $\delta$ Scuti / $\gamma$ Dor hybrid pulsator GK Draconis

Abstract

GK Dra is a detached eclipsing binary system containing two early-F stars, one evolved, in an orbit with a period of 9.974 d and a small eccentricity. Its eclipsing nature was discovered using Hipparcos data, and pulsations were found in follow-up ground-based data. Extensive observations have been obtained using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and we use these and published spectroscopy to perform a detailed reanalysis of the system. We determine masses of $1.421 \pm 0.012$ and $1.775 \pm 0.028$ Msun, and radii of $1.634 \pm 0.011$ and $2.859 \pm 0.028$ Rsun. The secondary component is more massive, larger, and slightly cooler than its companion; the eclipses are total. The properties of the system can be matched by theoretical predictions for an age of 1.4 Gyr and a slightly sub-solar metallicity. We measure 15 significant pulsation frequencies in the TESS light curve, of which three are in the frequency domain of $\gamma$ Doradus pulsations and the remaining 12 are $\delta$ Scuti pulsations; the system is thus a hybrid pulsator. The strongest pulsation can be definitively assigned to the secondary star as it has been detected in radial velocities of this object. TESS will observe GK Dra again for ten consecutive sectors in the near future.