Searching For Wide Binary Stars with Non-coeval Components in the Southern Sky

We have completed our observational program to search for wide binary systems with non-coeval components in the southern sky and report our results here.The final set of four systems was spectroscopically investigated in this paper.No binary systems with components of different ages were found among them.Taking into account our previous studies,we estimate the fraction of such binaries(i.e.,binaries formed,presumably,by capture)to be not higher than 0.06%.The study will be continued on the northern sky.

The Spectrum Analysis of Three Chromospherically Active Binary Stars

We present the research results on new CCD spectroscopic observations of three chromospherically active binary stars (BY Dra class), which were obtained by means of Coude echelle spectrograph fed by the 2 16m telescope at Beijing Astronomical Observatory. These spectrum images were reduced according to the standard fashion using IRAF package. With the aid of stellar model atmosphere, we have analyzed these spectra and derived the average metal abundance and Li abundance of three systems. Using two special spectral lines, we have also discussed the chromospheric activity indicators of them.

Velocity Curve Analysis of Spectroscopic Binary Stars AI Phe,GM Dra,HD 93917 and V502 Oph by Nonlinear Regression

We introduce a new method to derive the orbital parameters of spectroscopic binary stars by nonlinear least squares of （o - c）. Using the measured radial velocity data of the four double lined spectroscopic binary systems, AI Phe, GM Dra, HD 93917 and V502 Oph, we derived both the orbital and combined spectroscopic elements of these systems. Our numerical results are in good agreement with the those obtained using the method of Lehmann-Filhés.

Application of a probabilistic neural network in analysis of the radial velocity curve of spectroscopic binary stars

Using measured radial velocity data of five double-lined spectroscopic binary systems,HD 89959,HD 143705,HD 146361,HD 165052 and HD 152248, we find corresponding orbital and spectroscopic elements via a Probabilistic Neural Network.Our numerical results are in good agreement with those obtained by others using more traditional methods.

A Possible Explanation of the O'Connell Effect in Close Binary Stars

A theoretical model for explaining the O'Connell effect of close binary stars is given based on the hypothesis that the circumstellar material of a binary system is captured by its components. The results inferred from the model suggest that late-type and/or short-period binaries can easily produce obvious O'Connell effect and that the occurrence of O'Connell effect has no relation with the type of binaries. These conclusions are in agreement with the observed results. The observed O'Connell effects of six binary systems are examined by the model. For three W-subtype W UMa binaries (YY Eri, BX Per and SW Lac), the densities of the materials captured by the two components are assumed to be equal, and the calculated O'Connell effect is found to be almost equal to the observed effect. For three A-subtype W UMa systems (CN And, FG Hya and AU Ser), the two densities are assumed to be different, and are calculated separately. The calculated O'Connell effect turns out to agree better with the observed effect than that was formerly obtained.

First Light Curve Analysis of NSVS 8294044,V1023 Her,and V1397 Her Contact Binary Systems

The first photometric light curve investigation of the NSVS 8294044,V1023 Her,and V1397 Her binary systems is presented.We used ground-based observations for the NSVS 8294044 system and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite data for V1023 Her and V1397 Her.The primary and secondary times of minima were extracted from al the data,and,by collecting the literature,a new ephemeris was computed for each system.Linear fits for the O-C diagrams were conducted using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method.Light curve solutions were performed using the PHysics Of Eclipsing BinariEs Python code and the MCMC approach.The systems were found to be contact binary stars based on the fillout factor and mass ratio.V1023 Her showed the O’Connell effect and a cold starspot on the secondary component was required for the light curve solution.The absolute parameters of the system were estimated based on an empirical relationship between orbital period and mass.We presented a new T–M equation based on a sample of 428 contact binary systems and found that our three target systems were in good agreement with the fit.The positions of the systems were also depicted on the M–L,M–R,q–L_(ratio),and M_(tot)–J_(0)diagrams in the logarithmic scales.

V0405 Dra:A New Deep and Low Mass Ratio Contact Binary with Extremely Fast Decrease in the Orbital Period

V0405 Dra is a W UMa-type binary star.Based on the TESS data,we have conducted an orbital period study and performed a light curve analysis for the system.The orbital period study reveals that the O-C curve for V0405 Dra exhibits secular decrease at an extremely high rate of d P/dt=-2.71×10^(-6)day year^(-1),along with periodic variations characterized by an amplitude of A_(3)=0.0032 day and a period of P_(3)=1.413 years.The orbital periodic change is possibly due to the light-travel time effect resulting from an additional third body in the system,for which we estimate a minimum mass of M_(3)=0.77M_(⊙).By employing the 2013 version of the Wilson-Devinney(W-D)method to synthesize a light curve,we derived photometric solutions indicating that V0405 Dra is a new deep(f=68.7%)and low-mass ratio(q=0.175)contact binary.The fast decrease in its orbital period is likely caused by mass transfer from the more massive primary star to the less massive secondary star,or due to angular momentum loss.With further mass transfer and loss of angular momentum,the binary will gradually evolve into a tighter contact configuration,eventually leading to a merger into a single star,following the evolutionary paths suggested for such deep and low mass ratio contact binaries.

Formation of a Rapidly Rotating Classical Be-star in a Massive Close Binary System

This paper investigates the spin-up of a mass-accreting star in a close binary system passing through the first stage of mass exchange in the Hertzsprung gap. Inside an accreting star, angular momentum is carried by meridional circulation and shear turbulence. The circulation carries part of the angular momentum of the accreted layers to the accretor's surface. The greater the rate of arrival of angular momentum in the accretor is, the greater this part. It is assumed that this part of the angular momentum can be removed by the disk further from the accretor. If the angular momentum in the matter entering the accretor is more than half the Keplerian value, then the angular momentum obtained by the accretor during mass exchange stage does not depend on the rate of arrival of angular momentum. The accretor may have the characteristics of a Be-star immediately after the end of mass exchange.

Variable Stars in the 50BiN Open Cluster Survey.Ⅲ.NGC 884

Open clusters are the basic building blocks that serve as a laboratory for the study of young stellar populations in the Milky Way.Variable stars in open clusters provide a unique way to accurately probe the internal structure,temporal and dynamical evolutionary stages of individual stars and the host cluster.The most powerful tool for such studies is time-domain photometric observations.This paper follows the route of our previous work,concentrating on a photometric search for variable stars in NGC 884.The target cluster is the companion of NGC869,forming the well-known double cluster system that is gravitationally bound.From the observation run in 2016 November,a total of 9247 B-band CCD images and 8218Ⅴ-band CCD images were obtained.We detected a total of 15 stars with variability in visual brightness,including five Be stars,three eclipsing binaries,and seven of unknown types.Two new variable stars were discovered in this work.We also compared the variable star content of NGC 884 with its companion NGC 869.

BSN:Photometric Light Curve Analysis of Two Contact Binary Systems LS Del and V997 Cyg

The light curve analyses and orbital period variations for two contact binary stars,LS Del and V997 Cyg,are presented in this work which was conducted in the frame of the Binary Systems of South and North project Ground-based photometric observations were performed at two observatories in France.We used the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS)data for extracting times of minima and light curve analysis of the targe systems.The O-C diagram for both systems displays a parabolic trend.LS Del and V997 Cyg’s orbital periods are increasing at rates of dP/dt=7.20×10^(-08)days yr^(-1)and dP/dt=2.54×10^(-08)days yr^(-1),respectively Therefore,it can be concluded that mass is being transferred from the less massive star to the more massive component with a rate of dM/dt=-1.96×10^(-7)M_(⊙)yr^(-1)for the LS Del system,and dM/dt=-3.83×10^(-7)M_(⊙)yr-1for V997 Cyg.The parameters of a third possible object in the system are also considered.The PHysics Of Eclipsing BinariEs Python code was used to analyze the light curves.The light curve solutions needed a cold starspot due to the asymmetry in the LS Del system’s light curve maxima.The mass ratio fill-out factor,and star temperature all indicate that both systems are contact binary types in this investigation.Two methods were applied to estimate the absolute parameters of the systems:one method relied on the parallax of Gaia DR3,and the other used a P-M relationship.The positions of the systems are also depicted on the M-L,M-R q-L_(ratio),and logM_(tot)-logJ_(0)diagrams.We recommend that further observations and investigations be done on the existence of a fourth body in this system.

Type Ia Supernova Explosions in Binary Systems:A Review

Type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia)play a key role in the fields of astrophysics and cosmology.It is widely accepted that SNe Ia arise from thermonuclear explosions of white dwarfs(WDs)in binary systems.However,there is no consensus on the fundamental aspects of the nature of SN Ia progenitors and their actual explosion mechanism.This fundamentally flaws our understanding of these important astrophysical objects.In this review,we outline the diversity of SNe Ia and the proposed progenitor models and explosion mechanisms.We discuss the recent theoretical and observational progress in addressing the SN Ia progenitor and explosion mechanism in terms of the observables at various stages of the explosion,including rates and delay times,pre-explosion companion stars,ejecta–companion interaction,early excess emission,early radio/X-ray emission from circumstellar material interaction,surviving companion stars,late-time spectra and photometry,polarization signals and supernova remnant properties.Despite the efforts from both the theoretical and observational sides,questions of how the WDs reach an explosive state and what progenitor systems are more likely to produce SNe Ia remain open.No single published model is able to consistently explain all observational features and the full diversity of SNe Ia.This may indicate that either a new progenitor paradigm or an improvement in current models is needed if all SNe Ia arise from the same origin.An alternative scenario is that different progenitor channels and explosion mechanisms contribute to SNe Ia.In the next decade,the ongoing campaigns with the James Webb Space Telescope,Gaia and the Zwicky Transient Facility,and upcoming extensive projects with the Vera C.Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time and the Square Kilometre Array will allow us to conduct not only studies of individual SNe Ia in unprecedented detail but also systematic investigations for different subclasses of SNe Ia.This will advance theory and observations of SNe Ia sufficiently far to gain a deeper understanding of their origin and explosion mechanism.

The First Photometric and Spectroscopic Study of Contact Binary V2840 Cygni

The first photometric,spectroscopic and period variation studies of neglected short-period eclipsing binary V2840Cygni are presented.High mass ratio contact binaries(HMRCBs),especially those in the weak-contact configuration,are vital when probing the evolutionary models of contact binaries(CBs) using stellar parameters.The photometric solutions reveal the weak-contact nature of V2840 Cygni with a high mass ratio(~1.36),motivating us to investigate the nature of such binaries.The period variation study of V2840 Cygni spanning 15 yr shows a secular period decrease at a rate of ~5.5 × 10^(-7) day yr^(-1),indicating mass transfer between the components.The superimposed cyclic variation provides a basic understanding of the possible third body(P_(3)- 8 yr,m_(3)- 0.51 M_(⊙)).Following the derived parameters,the evolution of the system is discussed based on the thermal relaxation oscillation(TRO) model.It is found that V2840 Cygni falls in a special category of HMRCBs,which validates TRO.To characterize the nature of HMRCBs,a catalog of 59 CBs with high mass ratios has been compiled along with their derived parameters from the literature.For all the HMRCBs in the study,a possible correlation between their contact configuration and observed period variations for relative log J_(rel) is discussed.The spectroscopic study of V2840 Cygni provides evidence of the presence of magnetic activity in the system and the existence of ongoing mass transfer which is additionally deduced from the period variation study.The LAMOST spectra of 17 HMRCBs are collected to interpret the stellar magnetic activity in such systems.

The Variability and Radial Velocity of Planetary Nebula Central Stars

The extremely accurate estimates of stellar variability and radial velocity in the Gaia Data Release 3(Gaia DR3)have enabled us to examine the close binarity and radial velocity(RV)of central stars(CSs)of planetary nebulae(PNe).This study is twofold:(1)searching for new close binary CS candidates to better understand how binarity affects the formation and evolution of PNe;and(2)extending the sample size of known RVs of PNe in order to understand their kinematics and the dynamics of the Milky Way.As a target sample,we used all true,possible,and likely PNe available in the literature.Then,we looked for their matched Gaia DR3 sources that provide measurements of variability and RV.As a result,we detected the first large collection of trustworthy photometric variability of 26 symbiotic stars and 82 CSs.In this CS group,there are 24 sources already classified as true close binary CSs in the literature.Hence,we discovered 58 new close binary CS candidates.This close binary(CB)sample represents more than half of what is currently available in the literature.In addition,we identified the radial velocities for 51 PNe.To our knowledge,24 of these were measured for the first time.The RV measurements predicted by Gaia,based on the Doppler shift of the CS absorption lines,and those derived from nebular emission lines,show satisfactory agreement except for a few extremely high-velocity PNe.

IP Lyn:A Totally Eclipsing Contact Binary with an Extremely Low Mass Ratio

We present the first photometric and orbital period investigations for a neglected totally eclipsing contact binary IP Lyn.The photometric solutions derived from both ground-based and several surveys'observations suggest that it is a shallow contact binary with an extremely low mass ratio of 0.055.The weak asymmetry observed in our multiple band light curves can be interpreted as a result of an active cool spot on the primary.The absolute physical parameters were determined with the Gaia-distance-based method and checked by an empirical relation.Combining the eclipse timings collected from the literature and those derived from our and variable surveys'observations,we find that IP Lyn has been undergoing a secular orbital period increase for the past two decades,implying a mass transfer from the less massive secondary to the primary.By comparing the current parameters with the critical instability ones,we infer that IP Lyn is currently stable in spite of its relatively low mass ratio and orbital angular momentum.Finally,from a catalog of 117 extremely low mass ratio contact binaries,we find that their orbital angular momenta are significantly lower than those of the contact binaries with a relatively high mass ratio,suggesting they should be at the late evolutionary stage of a contact binary.

Magnetic Activity and Parameters of 43 Flare Stars in the GWAC Archive

In the archive of the Ground Wide Angle Camera(GWAC),we found 43 white light flares from 43 stars,among which,three are sympathetic or homologous flares,and one of them also has a quasi-periodic pulsation with a period of 13.0±1.5 minutes.Among these 43 flare stars,there are 19 new active stars and 41 stars that have available TESS and/or K2 light curves,from which we found 931 stellar flares.We also obtained rotational or orbital periods of 34 GWAC flare stars,of which 33 are less than 5.4 days,and ephemerides of three eclipsing binaries from these light curves.Combining with low resolution spectra from LAMOST and the Xinglong 2.16 m telescope,we found that L_(Hα)/L_(bol) are in the saturation region in the rotation-activity diagram.From the LAMOST medium-resolution spectrum,we found that Star#3(HAT 178-02667)has double Hαemissions which imply it is a binary,and two components are both active stars.Thirteen stars have flare frequency distributions(FFDs)from TESS and/or K2 light curves.These FFDs show that the flares detected by GWAC can occur at a frequency of 0.5to 9.5 yr^(-1).The impact of flares on habitable planets was also studied based on these FFDs,and flares from some GWAC flare stars may produce enough energetic flares to destroy ozone layers,but none can trigger prebiotic chemistry on their habitable planets.

Identifying Symbiotic Stars with Machine Learning

Symbiotic stars are interacting binary systems, making them valuable for studying various astronomical phenomena, such as stellar evolution, mass transfer, and accretion processes. Despite recent progress in the discovery of symbiotic stars, a significant discrepancy between the observed population of symbiotic stars and the number predicted by theoretical models. To bridge this gap, this study utilized machine learning techniques to efficiently identify new symbiotic star candidates. Three algorithms(XGBoost, LightGBM, and Decision Tree)were applied to a data set of 198 confirmed symbiotic stars and the resulting model was then used to analyze data from the LAMOST survey, leading to the identification of 11,709 potential symbiotic star candidates. Out of these potential symbiotic star candidates listed in the catalog, 15 have spectra available in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey(SDSS) survey. Among these 15 candidates, two candidates, namely V^(*)V603 Ori and V^(*)GN Tau, have been confirmed as symbiotic stars. The remaining 11 candidates have been classified as accreting-only symbiotic star candidates. The other two candidates, one of which has been identified as a galaxy by both SDSS and LAMOST surveys, and the other identified as a quasar by SDSS survey and as a galaxy by LAMOST survey.

Evidence of a Third Body and Photometric Solutions of a High Temperature Marginal Contact Binary CW Aqr

Marginal contact binary systems are an important class of binary systems in exploited by astronomers to understand various astrophysical phenomena as they bridge both semi-detached and overcontact stages.We studied the photometric data of CW Aqr using the JCB 1.3 m telescope(JCBT),Kepler,and TESS to understand the period variations and constrain the light curve solutions.We noted that the period of CW Aqr is increasing with a mass transfer rate of m=7.53×10^(-8)M_(⊙)yr^(-1)from the secondary to the primary component.We also ascertained cyclic deviations along with a parabolic trend in the O-C diagram.The residuals displayed a sinusoidal trend which was fitted with an LTTE,indicating the presence of a third body with an orbital period of P_(3)~10 yr and e=0.10.We fitted the JCBT,Kepler,and TESS photometric normalized light curves and noted the mass ratio to be q~0.32 for both contact and semi-detached configurations.We identified a temperature difference between the primary and secondary components of~2500 K.No activity signatures were found in the observed light curves which were also evident from the Hαline studies where the filled-in effect was not seen.Overall our study suggests that CW Aqr is a marginal contact binary with a low mass ratio evolving toward a semi-detached configuration.However,it may merge if the period increases due to ongoing mass transfer accompanied by a lowering in the mass ratio and later oscillate back to the period-decreasing trend due to angular momentum loss over a few cycles of thermal relaxation oscillations followed by instability.

Speckle-interferometric Study of Close Visual Binary System HIP 11253(HD 14874)using Gaia(DR2 and EDR3)

We present a comprehensive set of physical and geometrical parameters for each of the components of the close visual binary system HIP 11253(HD 14874).We present an analysis for the binary and multiple stellar systems with the aim to obtain a match between the overall observational spectral energy distribution of the system and the spectral synthesis created from model atmospheres using Al-Wardat's method for analyzing binary and multiple stellar systems.The epoch positions are used to determine the orbital parameters and the total mass.The parameters of both components are derived as:T_(eff)^(a)=6025,T_(eff)^(b)=4710,logg_(a)=4.55,logg_(b)=4.60,R_(a)=1.125 R_(⊙),R_(b)=0.88R_(⊙),L_(a)=1.849 L_(⊙),L_(b)=0.342 L_(⊙).Our analysis shows that the spectral types of the components are F9 and K3.By combining the orbital solution with the parallax measurements of Gaia DR2 and EDR3,we estimate the individual masses using the H-R diagram as M_(a)=1.09 M_(⊙)and M_(b)=0.59 M_(⊙)for using Gaia DR2 parallax and M_(a)=1.10 M_(⊙)and M_(b)=0.61 M_(⊙)for using Gaia EDR3 parallax.Finally,the location of both system's components on the stellar evolutionary tracks is presented.

1SWASP J010313.78+352903.7:A Totally Eclipsing Binary with Components in Poor Thermal Contact

We presented photometry for an EB-type totally eclipsing binary,1SWASP J010313.78+352903.7,observed with the Xinglong 85 cm telescope on 2021 October 22.Light curves in five bands(including the TESS data)were analyzed by employing the Wilson-Devinney method.The photometric solutions show that it is a contact binary with a relatively low mass ratio(q≌0.28),relatively large fill-out factor(f≌40%)and large temperature difference(ΔT≌1700 K).Max.I-Max.II is up to about 9%of variable light amplitude of the asymmetric light curves.It is well described by double-hot spots model on the surface of the cooler secondary.The two hot spots are both in growing and evolving.They may be caused by two different mechanics,i.e.,magnetic stellar activity and mass transfer.The large temperature difference between the two contact components indicates that they share a non-thermal equilibrium common envelope.

New Photometric Investigations of G-type Contact Binary TU Boo

Two sets of CCD photometric observations for contact binary TU Boo were obtained in 2020 and 2021.Different from its asymmetric light curves published from the literature,our BVRcIc-band curves show that the heights of maximum are almost equal.These distortions of light curves possibly indicate that the components were active in past 25 yr,but they were stable in the last two years.For total-eclipse binary TU Boo,due to some star-spots on the surface of the components,the physical structure obtained by many investigators are different.Therefore,the symmetric multi-color light curves in 2020,2021 are important for understanding configuration and evolution of this system.By using the Wilson–Devinney program,it is confirmed that TU Boo is an A-type shallow-contact binary with the temperature difference ofΔT=152 K and fill-out of f=14.67%.In the O−C diagram of orbital period analysis,a cyclic oscillation superimposed on a continuous decrease was determined.The long-term decreasing is often explained by the mass transfer from the more massive star to less massive one,this system will evolve into a deeper contact binary with time.The cyclic oscillations computed from much more CCD times of light minimum maybe result from the light-travel time effect via the presence of a third body.These characters of structure,evolution and ternary belong to typical A-type W UMa binaries with spectral G.