A low-mass-ratio and deep contact binary as the progenitor of the merger V1309 Sco

Nova Sco 2008 （=V1309 Sco） is an example of a V838 Mon type eruption rather than a typical classical nova. This enigmatic object was recently shown to have resulted from the merger of two stars in a contact binary. It is the first stellar merger that was identified to be undergoing a common envelope transient. To understand the properties of its binary progenitor, the pre-outburst light curves were analyzed by using the W-D method. The photometric solution of the 2002 light curve shows that it is a deep contact binary （f = 89.5（~40.5）%） with a mass ratio of 0.094. The asymmetry of the light curve is explained by the presence of a dark spot on the more massive component. The extremely high fill-out factor suggests that the merging of the contact binary is driven by dynamical mass loss from the outer Lagrange point. However, the analysis of the 2004 light curve indicates that no solutions were obtained even at an extremely low mass ratio of q = 0.03. This suggests that the common convective envelope of the binary system disappeared and the secondary component spiraled into the envelope of the primary in 2004. Finally, the ejection of the envelope of the primary produced the outburst.

Multi-color light curves and orbital period research of eclipsing binary V1073 Cyg

New multi-color BVRcIc photometric observations are presented for the W UMa type eclips- ing binary V1073 Cyg. The multi-color light curve analysis with the Wilson-Devinney procedure yielded the absolute parameters of this system, showing that V 1073 Cyg is a shallow contact binary system with a fill-out factor f = 0.124（±0.011）. We collected all available times of light minima spanning 119yr, including CCD data to construct the O - C curve, and performed detailed O - C analysis. The O - C diagram shows that the period change is complex. A long-term continuous decrease and a cyclic vari- ation exist. The period is decreasing at a rate ofP = -1.04（±0.18） × 10-10 d cycle-land, with the period decrease, V1073 Cyg will evolve to the deep contact stage. The cyclic variation with a period of P3 = 82.7（±3.6） yr and an amplitude of A = 0.028（±0.002） d may be explained by magnetic activ- ity of one or both components or the light travel time effect caused by a distant third companion with M3（i1 = 90°） = 0.511 M⊙.

Photometric investigation of the K-type extremely shallow contact binary V1799 Orion

New multi-color light curves of the very short period K-type eclipsing binary V1799 Ori were obtained and analyzed with the Wilson-Devinney code. The photometric solutions reveal that the system is a W-type shallow-contact binary with a mass ratio of q = 1.335（4-0.005） and a degree of contact of about f = 3.5（-4-1.1）%. In general, the results are in good agreement with what is reported by Samec. Dramatic manifestations of the O＇Connell effect that appear in the light curves can be explained well by employing starspots on the binary surface, which confirms that the system is active at present. Several new times of light minimum were obtained. All the avail- able times of light minimum were collected, along with the recalculated and newly obtained values. Applying a least-squares method to the constructed O - C diagram, a new ephemeris is derived for V1799 Ori. The orbital period is found to show a continuous weak increase at a rate of 1.8（±0.6） × 10^-8 d yr^-1. The extremely shallow contact, together with the period increase, suggests that the binary may be at a critical stage predicted by thermal relaxation oscillation theory.