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.

Photometric and Spectroscopic Study of Ten Low Mass Ratio Contact Binary Systems:Orbital Stability,O'Connell Effect and Infrared Calcium Line Filling

Low mass ratio contact binary systems are more likely to have unstable orbits and potentially merge.In addition,such systems exhibit characteristics such as starspots and high energy emissions(UV)suggestive of chromospheric and magnetic activity.Light curve modeling of ten contact binary systems is reported.All were found to be of extreme low mass ratio ranging from 0.122 to 0.24 and three were found to be potentially unstable and possible merger candidates.Filling of the infrared calcium absorption lines is a marker of increased chromospheric activity.We use the available Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope spectra along with matched standard spectra(broadened for rotation)to measure the excess filling of the central core depression flux of the two main infrared calcium absorption linesλ8542 andλ8662.We find that all reported contact binaries have excess filling of the core flux in the infrared calcium lines.Three of the systems reported were also observed by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer mission and we find that all three have features of excess ultraviolet emissions further adding evidence for increased chromospheric activity in low mass ratio contact binaries.Analysis of both orbital stability and absorption line filling is dependent on the determination of geometric and absolute parameters from light curve modeling.Not an insignificant number of contact binary light curves exhibit the O’Connell effect,usually attributed to starspots.We discuss the inclusion of starspots in light curve solutions and how they influence the geometric and absolute parameters.

Pulsations of Three Rapidly Oscillating Ap Stars TIC 96315731,TIC72392575,and TIC 318007796

We analyze the frequencies of three known roAp stars,TIC 96315731,TIC 72392575,and TIC 318007796,using the light curves from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite.For TIC 96315731,the rotational and pulsational frequencies are 0.1498360 day^(-1)and 165.2609 day^(-1),respectively.In the case of TIC 72392575,the rotational frequency is 0.25551 day^(-1).We detect a quintuplet of pulsation frequencies with a center frequency of135.9233 day^(-1),along with two signals within the second pair of rotational sidelobes of the quintuplet separated by the rotation frequency.These two signals may correspond to the frequencies of a dipole mode.In TIC318007796,the rotational and pulsational frequencies are 0.2475021 day^(-1),192.73995 day^(-1),and196.33065 day^(-1),respectively.Based on the oblique pulsator model,we calculate the rotation inclination(i)and magnetic obliquity angle(b)for the stars,which provide the geometry of the pulsation modes.Combining the phases of the frequency quintuplets,the pulsation amplitude and phase modulation curves,and the results of spherical harmonic decomposition,we conclude that the pulsation modes of frequency quintuplets in TIC96315731,TIC 72392575,and TIC 318007796 correspond to distorted dipole mode,distorted quadrupole mode,and distorted dipole mode,respectively.

Photometric Analysis of Three Potential Red Nova Progenitors

We present photometric analysis of three bright red nova progenitor contact binary systems:ASAS J082151-0612.6,TYC 7281-269-1 and TYC 7275-1968-1.The primary components in all three systems are solar-type low mass stars with radii somewhat larger than their zero age main sequence counterparts.The secondaries,as in most contact binary systems,have radii and luminosities well above their main sequence counterparts.All three have extremely low mass ratios ranging from 0.075 to 0.097 and two have high degrees of contact,in excess of 75%.All three have mass ratios and separations below the theoretical values for orbital stability.Chromospheric activity,a hallmark of magnetic activity and magnetic braking,considered important in mediating angular momentum loss,is also explored.All three systems demonstrate the O’Connell effect,and all systems require the introduction of star spots for a better light curve solution.In addition,we show that ASAS J082151-0612.6 and TYC 7281-269-1 have a UV color excess in the range indicating high chromospheric activity.Another measure of potential significant magnetic activity is X-ray luminosity;TYC 7275-1968-1 and probably also TYC 7281-269-1 have X-ray luminosity well above other contact binary systems.We conclude that it is likely that all three are unstable and hence are potential merger candidates.

Identification of temperature anomaly RR Lyrae stars in LAMOST survey,misclassification and binarities

RR Lyrae stars,a well-known type of pulsating variable stars,have been known about for more than a century.A large amount of photometric data on RR Lyrae stars has been accumulated by space-and ground-based sky surveys,but the spectral data are relatively poor.Fortunately,the LAMOST sky survey project provides an opportunity to view them from the point of view of spectra.We collect the atmospheric parameters of 1685 RR Lyrae stars provided by the LAMOST catalog,and carry out research by using the reliable Teff.We find that there is a clear correlation between their Teff and pulsation periods,which is consistent with the pulsation and evolution theories of RR Lyrae stars.In addition,we focus on those RR Lyrae stars with abnormal temperatures.After analyzing the data from several photometric surveys,we find that some of these temperature anomalies are misclassified variable stars(e.g.,eclipsing binaries,pulsating stars on main sequence),and some are RR Lyrae binary candidates.For the latter,the temperatures of potential companions should be lower and their luminosities should not be neglected(e.g.,red giant stars).We obtain that the ratio of temperature anomaly stars to all the sample stars is 4%,which means that the impact on the further analysis(e.g.,kinematics analysis)is low.We also present the catalogs of spectral anomaly RR Lyrae stars.

Photometric analysis of the eclipsing polar MN Hya

As an eclipsing polar with a 3.39 h orbital period, MN Hya was going through a state change when we observed it during 2009-2016. Ten new mid-eclipse times, along with others obtained from literature, allow us to give a new ephemeris. The residuals of a linear fit show that period decreased during the phase of state change, which means angular momentum was lost during this phase. The associated X-ray observation indicates the mass accretion rate was about 3.6 x 10^-9 Mo yr^-1. The period decrease indicates that at least 60% of mass being transferred from the secondary was lost, maybe in the form of spherically symmetric stellar wind. In the high state, the data show the intensity of flickering reduced when the system had a higher accretion rate, and that flickering sticks out with a primary timescale of about 2 min, which implies the position of the threading point was about 30 white dwarf radii above its surface. The trend of light curves for the system in its high state follows that of the low state for a large fraction of the phase interval from phase 0 to phase 0.4 since, starting at phase 0.4, the cyclotron feature is visible, and the primary intensity hump of the light curves near phase 0.7 when the system is in the high state did not appear on the curve when it was in the low state. Those facts contradict predictions of the two-pole model.

The First Multiband Photometric Light Curve Solutions of the V Gru Binary System from the Southern Hemisphere

The first multiband photometric solutions of the short-period V Gru eclipsing binary from the southern hemisphere are presented in this study.Light curves of the system were observed through BVI filters at the Congarinni Observatory in Australia for 15 nights.In addition to the new ground-based data,we also used the TESS observations in two sectors.We analyzed the light curves of the system using the PHysics Of Eclipsing BinariEs(PHOEBE)2.4.7 version code to achieve the best accordance with the photometric observations.The solutions suggest that V Gru is a near-contact binary system with q=1.302(81)mass ratio,f_(1)=0.010(23),f_(2)=-0.0.009(21),and i=73.45(38).We considered the two hot spots on the hotter and cooler components for the light curve analysis.We extracted the minima times from the light curves based on the Markov Chain Monte Carlo(MCMC)approach.Using our new light curves,TESS,and additional literature minima,we computed the ephemeris of V Gru.The system’s eclipse timing variation trend was determined using the MCMC method.This system is a good and challenging case for future studies.

New observations and transit solutions of the inflated exoplanets HAT-P-40b and HAT-P-51b

We present high-precision photometric observations of the transiting exoplanets HAT-P-40 b and HAT-P-51 b by the Rozhen 2-m telescope.The newly-observed transit of HAT-P-40 b is the first one with a complete curve.The orbital periods of the two targets were improved.We modeled the observed transits and found bigger stellar radii than those derived from the stellar models.The planet radii of HATP-40 b and HAT-P-51 b obtained from our transit solutions are bigger than the values calculated by the empirical relations for Jupiter-mass and Saturn-mass planets respectively.Their values reveal the highlyinflated nature of the two targets,especially that of HAT-P-51 b.We established that the best transit solutions correspond to a quadratic limb-darkening law.The fitted limb-darkening coefficients of HAT-P-40 are close to the theoretical ones while those of HAT-P-51 are a little different.The precise astrometric Gaia distances of the two targets are smaller by 6%–7%than the calculated values from the stellar models.We propose the Gaia distances to be used for improvement of the stellar models as well as for more reliable calculation of the parameters of the known exoplanets.