SuperWASP J015100.23-100524.2: A SPOTTED SHALLOW-CONTACT BINARY BELOW THE PERIOD LIMIT

Journal Article · Thu Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Astronomical Journal (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/150/4/117· OSTI ID:22520129

Qian, S. B.; Zhang, B.; He, J. J.; Liu, L.; Zhu, L. Y.; Zhao, E. G.; Zhou, X.; Thawicharat, S. ^[1]; Soonthornthum, B.; Rattanasoon, S.

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1. Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), P.O. Box 110, 650011 Kunming (China)

SuperWASP J015100.23-100524.2 (hereafter J015100) is an eclipsing binary with an orbital period of 0.d2145 that is below the short-period limit of contact binary stars. Complete light curves of J015100 in B, V, R, and I bands are presented and are analyzed with the Wilson–Devinney method. It has been discovered that J015100 is a shallow-contact binary (f = 14.6(±2.7)%) with a mass ratio of 3.128. It is a W-type contact binary where the less massive component is about 130 K hotter than the more massive one. The asymmetries of light curves are explained as one dark spot on the more massive component. The detection of J015100 as a contact binary below the period limit suggests that contact binaries below this limit are not rapidly destroyed. This shallow-contact system may be formed from a detached short-period binary similar to DV Psc (Sp. = K4/K5; P = 0.d30855) via orbital shrinkage due to angular momentum loss through magnetic stellar wind.

• OSTI ID: 22520129
• Journal Information: Astronomical Journal (Online), Vol. 150, Issue 4; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1538-3881
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
ASYMMETRY
BINARY STARS
DETECTION
DIAGRAMS
ECLIPSE
INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELDS
MASS
STAR EVOLUTION
STELLAR WINDS
VISIBLE RADIATION