First ground‐based photometry and light‐curve analysis of the eccentric eclipsing binary V744 Cas

The first ground‐based BVR photometric observations of the recently discovered eclipsing binary V744 Cas are presented. From these measurements, timings for two primary and one secondary minima have been calculated. The light curves of the system were analyzed by using the Wilson‐Devinney program. The analysis shows that the system is detached with two similar components of spectral type A2V, and the orbit is eccentric (e = 0.0662 ± 0.0005). The longitude of the periastron (ω) was found significantly different for two different light curves (ours and that of Hipparcos), which is strongly suggestive of an apsidal motion with a period of about 425 ± 68 yr. This makes V744 Cas an important candidate for studies of apsidal motions. The first estimate of the absolute dimensions place the system close to the terminal age of the main sequence (TAMS) in the HR diagram. The distance from the spectroscopic parallax (d = 740 ± 10 pc) was found to be slightly larger than the Hipparcos distance of d = 610 ± 400 pc. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Updated UBV Light-Curve and Period Analysis of Eclipsing Binary HS Herculis

UBV light-curves of the eclipsing binary HS Herculis, obtained in 2002–2003 observational seasons, were analysed with Wilson-Devinney computer code. New absolute dimensions of the system were calculated using the results of the light-curve analysis. Period variation of the system was also investigated. Several new times of minima have been secured for this problematic system. An apsidal motion with a period of 80.7 years was confirmed and a third body in a pretty eccentric orbit (e ₃ = 0.90 ± 0.08) with a period of 85.4 years was found. The corresponding internal structure constants of the binary system, log k ₂, and the mass of the third body were derived.     

Eccentric Eclipsing Binary YY Sagittarii

Seven new precise times of minimum light have been gathered for the triple eccentric eclipsing binary YY Sgr (P = 2^d.63, e = 0.16). Its O--C diagram is presented and improved elements of the apsidal motion and the light-time effect are given. We found a new short period of the third body of about 18.5 years in an eccentric orbit (e ₃ ≃ 0.4).     

Apsidal motion elements of three eccentric eclipsing binaries: V397 Cep,V493 Car and BW Aqr

The apsidal motion analysis of the eccentric eclipsing binaries: V397 Cep, V493 Car and BW Aqr have been presented. The method described by Lacy (1992) [Lacy, C.H S., 1992. AJ 104, 2213] has been used for the apsidal motion analysis. The apsidal motion periods have been found to be 174.2 ± 1.4, 277.3 ± 21.3 and 7195 ± 174 years for V397 Cep, V493 Car and BW Aqr, respectively.     

On the apsidal motion of BP Vulpeculae

BP Vulpeculae is a bright eclipsing binary system showing apsidal motion. It was found in an earlier study that it shows retrograde apsidal motion which contradicts theory. In this paper we present the first BV light curve of the system and its light curve solution as well as seven new times of the minima from the years 1959–1963. This way we could expanded the baseline of the investigation to five decades. Based on this longer baseline we concluded that the apsidal motion is prograde agreeing with the theoretical expectations and its period is about 365 years and the determined internal structure constant is close to the theoretically expected one.     

Photometry and Analysis of the Eclipsing Binary IQ Persei

Photoelectric observations of the eclipsing binary IQ Persei have been carried out in B and V colours at Ege University Observatory. The corresponding light curves were analyzed by synthesis techniques. The absolute physical parameters and apsidal motion period (122 yr) of the system were obtained. The results have been compared with theoretical evolutionary models which include both mass loss and convective overshooting. Theoretical evolutionary tracks of the component stars indicate an age of 1.3 × 10⁸ years and an apsidal motion constant of 0.0040 which is greater than its observed value by only about 5%. The A7 secondary of the eclipsing pair is still close to the zero-age main sequence but B7 primary is about halfway through its main sequence life-time. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rapid apsidal motion in V381 Cassiopeiae

V381 Cas is a relatively bright and early-type eclipsing binary system. Several new times of its eclipses were measured as part of our long-term observational project of eccentric eclipsing binaries. Based on a current O–C diagram solution, we found for the first time that its orbit is slightly eccentric (e = 0.025) and shows a very rapid apsidal advance with short period of about 20 years only. The relativistic and third body effects are negligible, being about 3% of the total apsidal motion rate.     

Remarks on the period variation of HS Herculis and SW Cygni

In order to get a satisfactory understanding of the periodic variation of the orbital period in the binary system HS Herculis, the study of this problem is resumed. Using recently observed primary and secondary minima, it is evident that after 1955 (E > -2000) the corresponding O – C diagram reflects the effect of apsidal motion. Any assumption on the presence of a third body is rejected, at least as long as the current aspect of the O–C diagram is concerned. For the interpretation of the sinusoidal period variation of the semi-detached system SW Cygni, 130 primary minima were compiled form the literature. Though it is considered as very likely that this variation of the period is primarily caused by apsidal motion, the hypothesis of a third body is analysed too. Further precise photometric and spectroscopic observations are recommended.     

Apsidal Motion Study of the Eclipsing Binary Star V459 Cas

Photometric observation of the eccentric eclipsing binary V459 Cas (e = 0.0244) was performed to find a new rate of apsidal motion. Also the advance of the periastron is calculated theoretically by taking into account the Newtonian (classical) and general-relativistic effects according to physical and orbital parameters of the system. A new observed rate of apsidal motion of 19^∘.8/100 yr is computed which is not in agreement with the one reported earlier. Meanwhile a theoretical value of 2^∘.64/100 yr is obtained which is 7.49 times smaller than the observed one.     

A new light‐time effect study of AR Aurigae

A period study of the young binary AR Aur based on the extensive series of published photoelectric/ccd minima times indicates the cyclic (O – C) variation for the system. This continuous oscillatory variation covers almost three cycles, about 6000 orbital periods, by the present observational data. It can be attributed to the light‐time effect due to a third body with a period of 23.68 ± 0.17 years in the system. The analysis yields a light‐time semi‐amplitude of 0.0084 ± 0.0002 day and an orbital eccentricity of 0.20 ± 0.04. Adopting the total mass of AR Aur, the mass of the third body assumed in the co‐planar orbit with the binary is M₃ = 0.54 ± 0.03 M_⊙ and the semimajor axis of its orbit is a₃ = 13.0 + 0.2 AU. (© 2003 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Study of the apsidal motion in the eclipsing binary MZ Lac

A series of highly accurate photoelectric observations of the eclipsing binary MZ Lac was obtained with a 48-cm AZT-14 reflector at the Tien-Shan High-Altitude Station of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute from 1985 to 2004 to study its apsidal motion. We constructed a consistent system of physical and geometrical parameters of the components and the binary’s orbit: we determined their masses (M₁ = 1.50M_⊙, M₂ = 1.29M_⊙), radii (R₁ = 1.86R_⊙, R₂ = 1.35R_⊙), luminosities (L₁ = 0.79L_⊙, L₂ = 0.45L_⊙), surface gravities (log_g1 = 4.06, log_g2 = 4.27), age (t = 1.9 × 10⁹ yr), and the distance to the binary (d = 510 pc). The binary exhibits apsidal motion with the period U_obs = 480 ± 40 yr, while its theoretically expected value is U_th = 450 ± 40 yr. Spectroscopic studies of MZ Lac and calculations of the absolute parameters of the components are required to test our conclusions.     

Apsidal motion in the eclipsing binary system OX cas

Multi-colourWBVR photoelectric observations of the eclipsing binary OX Cas were carried out. The photometric elements, absolute parameters and the angular rate of the apsidal motion ( = 9.1 deg yr^–1 were obtained. The apsidal parameterk ₂ derived for this system is by 15–25% smaller than the theoretical parameterk ₂.     

Photometric Observations and Apsidal Motion Study of V1143 Cyg

Photometric observations of the eccentric eclipsing binary V1143 Cyg were performed during Aug.–Sep. 2000 and July 2002, in Johnson B and V bands. The analysis of both light curves was made separately using the 1998 version of Wilson’s LC code. In order to find a new observed rate of apsidal motion, we followed the procedure described by Guinan and Maloney (1985). A new observed rate of apsidal motion of 3^∘.72/100 yr was computed, which is close to the one reported earlier by Khaliullin (1983), Gimenez and Margrave (1985), and Burns et al. (1996).     

Triple systems showing apsidal motion

Binary systems showing both apsidal motion and light travel time (LTT) effects which cause orbital period changes in close binaries were studied. 15 triple systems showing apsidal motion were found by searching the literature, and a table including the important parameters of these systems was constructed. Six of the systems given in this table were selected and observed photometrically. Existence of both apsidal motion and LTT effects in all selected systems was investigated by means of the analysis of their eclipse times. The mean observed internal structure constants,  log = k _2,obs  , and contributions to the apsidal motion from the theory of General Relativity and the third/fourth bodies were calculated. The masses of the third/fourth bodies and some characteristics of their orbits were also calculated.     

The Cepheid impostor HD 18391 and its anonymous parent cluster

New and existing photometry for the G0 Ia supergiant HD 18391 is analyzed in order to confirm the nature of the variability previously detected in the star, which lies off the hot edge of the Cepheid instability strip. Small‐amplitude variability at a level of δV = 0.016 ± 0.002 is indicated, with a period of P = 123^d.04 ± 0^d.06. A weaker second signal may be present at P = 177^d.84 ± 0^d.18 with δV = 0.007 ± 0.002, likely corresponding to fundamental mode pulsation if the primary signal represents overtone pulsation (123.04/177.84 = 0.69). The star, with a spectroscopic reddening of E_B–V = 1.02 ± 0.003, is associated with heavily‐reddened B‐type stars in its immediate vicinity that appear to be outlying members of an anonymous young cluster centered ∼10′ to the west and 1661 ± 73 pc distant. The cluster has nuclear and coronal radii of r_n = 3.5′ and R_c = 14′, respectively, while the parameters for HD 18391 derived from membership in the cluster with its outlying B stars are consistent with those implied by its Cepheid‐like pulsation, provided that it follows the semi‐period‐luminosity relation expected of such objects. Its inferred luminosity as a cluster member is M_V = –7.76 ± 0.10, its age (9 ± 1) × 10⁶ years, and its evolutionary mass ∼19 M_⊙. HD 18391 is not a classical Cepheid, yet it follows the Cepheid period‐luminosity relation closely, much like another Cepheid impostor, V810 Cen (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

New photometry and astrometry of the isolated neutron star RX J0720.4–3125 using recent VLT/FORS observations

Since the first optical detection of RX J0720.4–3125 various observations have been performed to determine astrometric and photometric data. We present the first detection of the isolated neutron star in the V Bessel filter to study the spectral energy distribution and derive a new astrometric position. At ESO Paranal we obtained very deep images with FORS 1 (three hours exposure time) of RX J0720.4–3125 in the V Bessel filter in January 2008. We derive the visual magnitude by standard star aperture photometry. Using sophisticated resampling software we correct the images for field distortions. Then we derive an updated position and proper motion value by comparing its position with FORS 1 observations of December 2000. We calculate a visual magnitude of V = 26.81 ± 0.09 mag, which is seven times in excess of what is expected from X‐ray data, but consistent with the extant U, B, and R data. Over about a seven year epoch difference we measured a proper motion of μ = 105.1 ± 7.4 mas yr^–1 towards θ = 296.951° ± 0.0063° (NW), consistent with previous data (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

An o-c diagram analysis of PV cassiopeiae

Basing on recent and old photoelectric times of minimum, a new slightly longer period of the apsidal motion for an eclipsing binary PV Cas has been obtained. A difference between observed and theoretical periods of the apsidal motion estimated on the base of Claret and Gimenez models growed up to 30 years is found.     

Pulsations and apsidal motion in the eclipsing variable system DI Herculis

In 2003–2008, highly accurate photoelectric and CCD observations of the close binary system DI Her were performed in the V band. The light curves of three primary and three secondary eclipses were constructed. These observations, along with the highly accurate photoelectric observations of other authors obtained in different years from 1963 to 1986, have confirmed the difference between the observed (1 _. ^o 3 ± 0 _. ^o 1/100 yr) and theoretical (4 _. ^o 3/100 yr) rates of apsidal motion. Our photometric data are indicative of a possible variability in the system with period P′ = 1.175 days and amplitude A′ = 0 _. ^m 011, which is probably related to the pulsations of one of the components. There may be a third body in the system that produces in-phase variations in the times of primary and secondary minima with a period of 10.5 yr and an amplitude of 1 _. ^m 5.     

Pulsations in the eclipsing variable system AS Camelopardalis

We performed photoelectric observations of AS Cam in 2002–2004. Five new times of minima were obtained. Their positions are consistent with the previously found light equation for the system and with the hypothesis that the difference between the observed (15°/100 yr) and theoretical (44°/100 yr) rates of apsidal motion results from the presence of a third body in the system. A Fourier analysis of two observational data sets, 1968–1970 and 2002–2004, reveals, with a high significance, periodic light variations with a frequency of ω ₀ = 1.0950 ± 0.0001d^?1 and an amplitude of ～0 _. ^m 020, which are probably caused by the radial pulsations of one of the components. We found a seasonal phase shift of these oscillations that may be produced by other periodic processes in the system. We show that the fairly large scatter of observed times of minima about the theoretical curve of the light equation can be explained by the presence of pulsations. Using the 2002 and 2004 observations as an example, we show that including the pulsations reduces this scatter.     

Apsidal motion in the eclipsing binary system V 451 Ophiuchi

MulticolourWBVR photoelectric observations of the eclipsing binary V 451 Oph were carried out, and a highly accurate light curve was obtained. The angular velocity of the orbital rotation, =2.1 deg yr^–1, and the apsidal motion constantk ₂=0.0045 are given.