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Title: PROPERTIES OF THE CLOSE-IN TERTIARY IN THE QUADRUPLE SYSTEM V401 CYG

Abstract

V401 Cyg is a quadruple system in which the spectroscopic signature of a close-in tertiary and a distant visual companion star were reported. Orbital properties of the close-in companion should provide valuable information on the formation of close binaries and stellar dynamical interaction. By analyzing new times of minimum light together with those collected from the literature, we discovered that the observed-calculated (O - C) curve of V401 Cyg shows a cyclic change with a short period of 3.5 yr and a semi-amplitude of 0.00436 days while it undergoes an upward parabolic variation. Those photoelectric and CCD data covered more than two cycles and were analyzed for the light-travel time effect via the presence of the tertiary companion. The mass of the third body was determined to be M{sub 3}sin i' = 0.65({+-} 0.08) M{sub Sun }, which is close to the value estimated from the spectroscopic data (M{sub 3} {approx} 0.64 M{sub Sun }). This reveals that the orbital inclination of the tertiary was about i' {approx} 90 Degree-Sign , indicating that the contact components of V401 Cyg have the possibility of being eclipsed by the tertiary at an orbital distance of about 3.0 AU, and it may bemore » a triply eclipsing hierarchical triple system. The upward parabolic change indicates a period increase at a rate of (P-dot{sub 2} = 1.5 x 10{sup -7} revealing a mass transfer from the secondary to the primary (M-dot{sub 2} = 5.9 x 10{sup -8} M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}). This is consistent with the predictions of the theory of thermal relaxation oscillation (TRO) suggesting that V401 Cyg is undergoing an expanding-orbit stage in the TRO cycles.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22122896
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 146; Journal Issue: 2; 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; AMPLITUDES; CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES; ECLIPSE; FORECASTING; IMAGES; INCLINATION; INTERACTIONS; MASS TRANSFER; ORBITS; OSCILLATIONS; RELAXATION; STARS; VISIBLE RADIATION

Citation Formats

Zhu, L. -Y., Qian, S. -B., Zhou, X., Li, L. -J., Zhao, E. -G., Liu, L., and Liu, N.-P., E-mail: qsb@ynao.ac.cn. PROPERTIES OF THE CLOSE-IN TERTIARY IN THE QUADRUPLE SYSTEM V401 CYG. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/146/2/28.
Zhu, L. -Y., Qian, S. -B., Zhou, X., Li, L. -J., Zhao, E. -G., Liu, L., & Liu, N.-P., E-mail: qsb@ynao.ac.cn. PROPERTIES OF THE CLOSE-IN TERTIARY IN THE QUADRUPLE SYSTEM V401 CYG. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/146/2/28
Zhu, L. -Y., Qian, S. -B., Zhou, X., Li, L. -J., Zhao, E. -G., Liu, L., and Liu, N.-P., E-mail: qsb@ynao.ac.cn. 2013. "PROPERTIES OF THE CLOSE-IN TERTIARY IN THE QUADRUPLE SYSTEM V401 CYG". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/146/2/28.
@article{osti_22122896,
title = {PROPERTIES OF THE CLOSE-IN TERTIARY IN THE QUADRUPLE SYSTEM V401 CYG},
author = {Zhu, L. -Y. and Qian, S. -B. and Zhou, X. and Li, L. -J. and Zhao, E. -G. and Liu, L. and Liu, N.-P., E-mail: qsb@ynao.ac.cn},
abstractNote = {V401 Cyg is a quadruple system in which the spectroscopic signature of a close-in tertiary and a distant visual companion star were reported. Orbital properties of the close-in companion should provide valuable information on the formation of close binaries and stellar dynamical interaction. By analyzing new times of minimum light together with those collected from the literature, we discovered that the observed-calculated (O - C) curve of V401 Cyg shows a cyclic change with a short period of 3.5 yr and a semi-amplitude of 0.00436 days while it undergoes an upward parabolic variation. Those photoelectric and CCD data covered more than two cycles and were analyzed for the light-travel time effect via the presence of the tertiary companion. The mass of the third body was determined to be M{sub 3}sin i' = 0.65({+-} 0.08) M{sub Sun }, which is close to the value estimated from the spectroscopic data (M{sub 3} {approx} 0.64 M{sub Sun }). This reveals that the orbital inclination of the tertiary was about i' {approx} 90 Degree-Sign , indicating that the contact components of V401 Cyg have the possibility of being eclipsed by the tertiary at an orbital distance of about 3.0 AU, and it may be a triply eclipsing hierarchical triple system. The upward parabolic change indicates a period increase at a rate of (P-dot{sub 2} = 1.5 x 10{sup -7} revealing a mass transfer from the secondary to the primary (M-dot{sub 2} = 5.9 x 10{sup -8} M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}). This is consistent with the predictions of the theory of thermal relaxation oscillation (TRO) suggesting that V401 Cyg is undergoing an expanding-orbit stage in the TRO cycles.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-6256/146/2/28},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22122896}, journal = {Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online)},
issn = {1538-3881},
number = 2,
volume = 146,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}