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Luminosity function of contact binaries based on the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS)
The luminosity function for contact binary stars of the W UMa type isevaluated on the basis of the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS)photometric project covering all stars south of δ=+ 28° withina magnitude range 8 < V < 13. Lack of colour indices enforced alimitation to 3374 systems with P < 0.562 d (i.e. 73 per cent of allsystems with P < 1 d) where a simplified MV(logP)calibration could be used. The spatial density relative to themain-sequence FGK stars of 0.2 per cent, as established previously fromthe Hipparcos sample to V= 7.5, is confirmed. While the numbers ofcontact binaries in the ASAS are large and thus the statisticaluncertainties small, derivation of the luminosity function required acorrection for missed systems with small amplitudes and with orbitalperiods longer than 0.562 d; the correction, by a factor of 3, carriesan uncertainty of about 30 per cent.
| Contact Binaries with Additional Components. II. A Spectroscopic Search for Faint Tertiaries
It is unclear how very close binary stars form, given that during thepre-main-sequence phase the component stars would have been inside eachother. One hypothesis is that they formed farther apart but were broughtin closer after formation by gravitational interaction with a thirdmember of the system. If so, all close binaries should be members oftriple (or higher order) systems. As a test of this prediction, wepresent a search for the signature of third components in archivalspectra of close binaries. In our sample of 75 objects, 23 show evidencefor the presence of a third component, down to a detection limit oftertiary flux contributions of about 0.8% at 5200 Å (consideringonly contact and semidetached binaries, we find 20 out of 66). In ahomogeneous subset of 59 contact binaries, we are fairly confident thatthe 15 tertiaries we have detected are all tertiaries present with massratios 0.28<~M3/M12<~0.75 and implied outerperiods P<~106 days. We find that if the frequency oftertiaries were the same as that of binary companions to solar-typestars, one would expect to detect about 12 tertiaries. In contrast, ifall contact binaries were in triple systems, one would expect about 20.Thus, our results are not conclusive but are sufficiently suggestive towarrant further studies.
| Contact Binaries with Additional Components. I. The Extant Data
We have attempted to establish observational evidence for the presenceof distant companions that may have acquired and/or absorbed angularmomentum during the evolution of multiple systems, thus facilitating orenabling the formation of contact binaries. In this preliminaryinvestigation we use several techniques (some of themdistance-independent) and mostly disregard the detection biases ofindividual techniques in an attempt to establish a lower limit to thefrequency of triple systems. While the whole sample of 151 contactbinary stars brighter than Vmax=10 mag gives a firm lowerlimit of 42%+/-5%, the corresponding number for the much better observednorthern-sky subsample is 59%+/-8%. These estimates indicate that mostcontact binary stars exist in multiple systems.
| Kinematics of W Ursae Majoris type binaries and evidence of the two types of formation
We study the kinematics of 129 W UMa binaries and we discuss itsimplications on the contact binary evolution. The sample is found to beheterogeneous in the velocity space. That is, kinematically younger andolder contact binaries exist in the sample. A kinematically young (0.5Gyr) subsample (moving group) is formed by selecting the systems thatsatisfy the kinematical criteria of moving groups. After removing thepossible moving group members and the systems that are known to bemembers of open clusters, the rest of the sample is called the fieldcontact binary (FCB) group. The FCB group is further divided into fourgroups according to the orbital period ranges. Then, a correlation isfound in the sense that shorter-period less-massive systems have largervelocity dispersions than the longer-period more-massive systems.Dispersions in the velocity space indicate a 5.47-Gyr kinematical agefor the FCB group. Compared with the field chromospherically activebinaries (CABs), presumably detached binary progenitors of the contactsystems, the FCB group appears to be 1.61 Gyr older. Assuming anequilibrium in the formation and destruction of CAB and W UMa systems inthe Galaxy, this age difference is treated as an empirically deducedlifetime of the contact stage. Because the kinematical ages (3.21, 3.51,7.14 and 8.89 Gyr) of the four subgroups of the FCB group are muchlonger than the 1.61-Gyr lifetime of the contact stage, the pre-contactstages of the FCB group must dominantly be producing the largedispersions. The kinematically young (0.5 Gyr) moving group covers thesame total mass, period and spectral ranges as the FCB group. However,the very young age of this group does not leave enough room forpre-contact stages, and thus it is most likely that these systems wereformed in the beginning of the main sequence or during thepre-main-sequence contraction phase, either by a fission process or mostprobably by fast spiralling in of two components in a common envelope.
| Photoelectric Minima of Eclipsing Binaries
Not Available
| Times of Minima for Neglected Eclipsing Binaries in 2004
Times of minima obtained during 2004 for a number of neglected eclipsingbinaries are presented.
| Physical Parameters of Components in Close Binary Systems: IV
The paper presents new geometric, photometric and absolute parameters,derived from combined spectroscopic and photometric solutions, for tencontact binary systems. The analysis shows that three systems (EF Boo,GM Dra and SW Lac) are of W-type with shallow to moderate contact. Sevensystems (V417 Aql, AH Aur, YY CrB, UX Eri, DZ Psc, GR Vir and NN Vir)are of A-type in a deep contact configuration. For six systems (V417Aql, YY CrB, GM Dra, UX Eri, SW Lac and GR Vir) a spot model isintroduced to explain the O'Connell effect in their light curves. Thephotometric and geometric elements of the systems are combined with thespectroscopic data taken at David Dunlap Observatory to yield theabsolute parameters of the components.
| Precision of Times-of-Minima and the Detection of Low-Mass Third Bodies Orbiting Eclipsing Binaries
Low-mass third bodies orbiting eclipsing binaries are difficult todetect by way of periodic shifts in photometric times-of-minima becausethe observational precision of these timings are of the same order asthe expected effects of any low-mass companions. We are implementingthree approaches to increasing the precision of our times-of-minima.First, we are obtaining many times-of-minima by utilizing relativelylow-cost, dedicated telescopes and CCD cameras (10- and 14-inch MeadeLX-200 telescopes and SBIG ST7-XE cameras). Operating in a semiautomaticmode, we select an eclipsing binary system, based on its placement inthe sky, and observe it all night long - usually many nights in a row.We choose binaries with short enough periods to assure us of obtaining acomplete light curve (and hence an eclipse) every night we observe.Second, we are striving to increase the photometric precision of eachobservation through the use of multiple comparison stars (ensemblephotometry). We are also, in conjunction with California PolytechnicState University, investigating other ways of increasing the photometricprecision of these low-cost systems (see E. Sturm this conference).Finally, we are utilizing complete, as opposed to partial, light curvesin our analysis. Information outside primary eclipses is gathered as amatter of course, and its use can improve precision. A total of 186complete light curves were obtained at the Dark Ridge and OrionObservatories during the 2004 observing season on six eclipsing binaries(TZ Boo, V523 Cas, RW Com, V1191 Cyg, GM Dra, and V400 Lyr). Please seeT. Smith and R. Genet (this conference) for preliminary results on V523Cas (30+ complete light curves).
| Key parameters of W UMa-type contact binaries discovered by HIPPARCOS
A sample of W UMa-type binaries which were discovered by the HIPPARCOSsatellite was constructed with the aid of well defined selectioncriteria described in this work. The selection process showed up thatseveral systems of which the variability types have been assigned as EBin HIPPARCOS catalogue are genuine contact binaries of W UMa-type. Thelight curves of the 64 selected systems based on HIPPARCOS photometrywere analyzed with the aid of light curve synthesis method by Rucinskiand their geometric elements (namely mass ratio q, degree of contact f,and orbital inclination i) were determined. The solutions were obtainedfor the first time for many of the systems in the sample and would be agood source for their future light curve analyses based on more precisefollow-up observations.Based on observations made with the ESA HIPPARCOSastrometry satellite.
| Catalogue of the field contact binary stars
A catalogue of 361 galactic contact binaries is presented. Listedcontact binaries are divided into five groups according to the type andquality of the available observations and parameters. For all systemsthe ephemeris for the primary minimum, minimum and maximum visualbrightness and equatorial coordinates are given. If available,photometric elements, (m1+m2)sin3i,spectral type, parallax and magnitude of the O'Connell effect are alsogiven. Photometric data for several systems are augmented by newobservations. The quality of the available data is assessed and systemsrequiring modern light-curve solutions are selected. Selectedstatistical properties of the collected data are discussed.
| Radial Velocity Studies of Close Binary Stars. VII. Methods and Uncertainties
Methods used in the radial velocity program of short-period binarysystems at the David Dunlap Observatory are described with particularstress on the broadening-function formalism. This formalism makes itpossible to determine radial velocities from the complex spectra ofmultiple-component systems with component stars showing very differentdegrees of rotational line broadening. The statistics of random errorsof orbital parameters are discussed on the basis of the availableorbital solutions presented in the six previous papers of the series,each with 10 orbits. The difficult matter of systematic uncertainties inorbital parameters is illustrated for the typical case of GM Dra fromPaper VI. Based on data obtained at the David Dunlap Observatory,University of Toronto.
| Radial Velocity Studies of Close Binary Stars. VI.
Radial velocity measurements and sine-curve fits to the orbital velocityvariations are presented for the sixth set of 10 close binary systems:SV Cam, EE Cet, KR Com, V410 Cyg, GM Dra, V972 Her, ET Leo, FS Leo,V2388 Oph, and II UMa. All systems except FS Leo are double-linedspectroscopic binaries. The type of FS Leo is unknown, while SV Cam is aclose, detached binary; all remaining systems are contact binaries.Eight binaries (all except SV Cam and V401 Cyg) are the recentphotometric discoveries of the Hipparcos satellite project. Fivesystems, EE Cet, KR Com, V401 Cyg, V2388 Oph, and II UMa, are members ofvisual/spectroscopic triple systems. We were able to observe EE Cetseparately from its companion, but in the remaining four triple systemswe could separate the spectral components only through the use of thebroadening-function approach. Several of the studied systems are primecandidates for combined light and radial velocity synthesis solutions.Based on data obtained at the David Dunlap Observatory, University ofToronto.
| The First Ground-Based Photometric Observations of GM Draconis
Not Available
| The 74th Special Name-list of Variable Stars
We present the Name-list introducing GCVS names for 3153 variable starsdiscovered by the Hipparcos mission.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Drache |
| Right ascension: | 17h20m21.88s |
| Declination: | +57°58'27.0" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 8.783 |
| Distance: | 98.425 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | 78.4 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -55.5 |
| B-T magnitude: | 9.404 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.835 |
Catalogs and designations:
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