The Samples and Binary Fractions of Red Supergiants in M31 and M33 by the HST Observations

Abstract The binarity of red supergiants (RSGs) influences their evolution and the fate of supernovae. We investigate the binary fraction of RSGs in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) and Triangulum galaxy (M33) using photometry from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), which offers high spatial resolution to resolve more RSGs. A preliminary step involves identifying a reliable and complete RSG sample using the F110W − F160W versus F160W diagram, yielding 2612 RSGs from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) survey of M31 and 3294 RSGs from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury: Triangulum Extended Region survey of M33. These samples suggest total RSG populations in M31 and M33 of 6563 and 7572, respectively. These estimates significantly exceed previous ones from the ground-based observations, an increase attributed to the superior spatial resolution of the HST. The stellar parameters of these RSGs, including effective temperature ( T eff ), radius ( R ), and luminosity ( L ), are derived by fitting their spectral energy distribution (SED) across optical and near-infrared bands. Binary candidates are identified by detecting ultraviolet excesses in their SEDs compared to the single-star RSG model prediction. The binary fraction is determined to be 33.4% ± 0.9% for M31 and 30.9% ± 0.8% for M33. For more luminous RSGs with log L / L ⊙ > 4.0, the binary fraction decreases to 31.6% ± 1.9% in M31 and increases to 34.7% ± 1.8% in M33, respectively. These results are in good agreement with predictions from the Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis binary evolution model.