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Title: A SEARCH FOR HIERARCHICAL TRIPLES USING KEPLER ECLIPSE TIMING

Abstract

We present the first results of a Kepler survey of 41 eclipsing binaries that we undertook to search for third star companions. Such tertiaries will periodically alter the eclipse timings through light travel time and dynamical effects. We discuss the prevalence of starspots and pulsation among these binaries and how these phenomena influence the eclipse times. There is no evidence of short-period companions (P < 700 days) among this sample, but we do find evidence for long-term timing variations in 14 targets (34%). We argue that this finding is consistent with the presence of tertiary companions among a significant fraction of the targets, especially if many have orbits measured in decades. This result supports the idea that the formation of close binaries involves the deposition of angular momentum into the orbital motion of a third star.

Authors:
; ; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 4106, Atlanta, GA 30302-4106 (United States)
  2. Department of Astronomy, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182-1221 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22034454
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 143; Journal Issue: 6; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1538-3881
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ANGULAR MOMENTUM; ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; BINARY STARS; ECLIPSE; ORBITS; PERIODICITY; PULSATIONS; STARSPOTS; VISIBLE RADIATION

Citation Formats

Gies, D R, Williams, S J, Matson, R A, Guo, Z, Thomas, S M, Orosz, J A, and Peters, G. J., E-mail: gies@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: swilliams@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: rmatson@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: guo@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: thomas@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: orosz@sciences.sdsu.edu, E-mail: gjpeters@mucen.usc.edu. A SEARCH FOR HIERARCHICAL TRIPLES USING KEPLER ECLIPSE TIMING. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/143/6/137.
Gies, D R, Williams, S J, Matson, R A, Guo, Z, Thomas, S M, Orosz, J A, & Peters, G. J., E-mail: gies@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: swilliams@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: rmatson@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: guo@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: thomas@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: orosz@sciences.sdsu.edu, E-mail: gjpeters@mucen.usc.edu. A SEARCH FOR HIERARCHICAL TRIPLES USING KEPLER ECLIPSE TIMING. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/143/6/137
Gies, D R, Williams, S J, Matson, R A, Guo, Z, Thomas, S M, Orosz, J A, and Peters, G. J., E-mail: gies@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: swilliams@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: rmatson@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: guo@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: thomas@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: orosz@sciences.sdsu.edu, E-mail: gjpeters@mucen.usc.edu. 2012. "A SEARCH FOR HIERARCHICAL TRIPLES USING KEPLER ECLIPSE TIMING". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/143/6/137.
@article{osti_22034454,
title = {A SEARCH FOR HIERARCHICAL TRIPLES USING KEPLER ECLIPSE TIMING},
author = {Gies, D R and Williams, S J and Matson, R A and Guo, Z and Thomas, S M and Orosz, J A and Peters, G. J., E-mail: gies@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: swilliams@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: rmatson@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: guo@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: thomas@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: orosz@sciences.sdsu.edu, E-mail: gjpeters@mucen.usc.edu},
abstractNote = {We present the first results of a Kepler survey of 41 eclipsing binaries that we undertook to search for third star companions. Such tertiaries will periodically alter the eclipse timings through light travel time and dynamical effects. We discuss the prevalence of starspots and pulsation among these binaries and how these phenomena influence the eclipse times. There is no evidence of short-period companions (P < 700 days) among this sample, but we do find evidence for long-term timing variations in 14 targets (34%). We argue that this finding is consistent with the presence of tertiary companions among a significant fraction of the targets, especially if many have orbits measured in decades. This result supports the idea that the formation of close binaries involves the deposition of angular momentum into the orbital motion of a third star.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-6256/143/6/137},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22034454}, journal = {Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online)},
issn = {1538-3881},
number = 6,
volume = 143,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Fri Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}