Stability of a planet in the HD 41004 binary system

The Hill stability criterion is applied to analyse the stability of a planet in the binary star system of HD 41004 AB, with the primary and secondary separated by 22 AU, and masses of 0.7 M_⊙ and 0.4 M_⊙, respectively. The primary hosts one planet in an S‐type orbit, and the secondary hosts a brown dwarf (18.64 M_J) on a relatively close orbit, 0.0177 AU, thereby forming another binary pair within this binary system. This star‐brown dwarf pair (HD 41004 B+Bb) is considered a single body during our numerical calculations, while the dynamics of the planet around the primary, HD 41004 Ab, is studied in different phase‐spaces. HD 41004 Ab is a 2.6 M_J planet orbiting at the distance of 1.7 AU with orbital eccentricity 0.39. For the purpose of this study, the system is reduced to a three‐body problem and is solved numerically as the elliptic restricted three‐body problem (ERTBP). The Hill stability function is used as a chaos indicator to configure and analyse the orbital stability of the planet, HD 41004 Ab. The indicator has been effective in measuring the planet's orbital perturbation due to the secondary star during its periastron passage. The calculated Hill stability time series of the planet for the coplanar case shows the stable and quasi‐periodic orbits for at least ten million years. For the reduced ERTBP the stability of the system is also studied for different values of planet's orbital inclination with the binary plane. Also, by recording the planet's ejection time from the system or collision time with a star during the integration period, stability of the system is analysed in a bigger phase‐space of the planet's orbital inclination, ≤ 90°, and its semimajor axis, 1.65–1.75 AU. Based on our analysis it is found that the system can maintain a stable configuration for the planet's orbital inclination as high as 65° relative to the binary plane. The results from the Hill stability criterion and the planet's dynamical lifetime map are found to be consistent with each other. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Radial velocity and light curves analysis of the eclipsing binary NN Vir

The eclipsing binary NN Vir is a short period system showing an EW‐type light curve. Photometric observations of NN Vir were done by Gomez‐Ferrellad & Garcia‐Melendo (1997) at Esteve Duran Observatory. We used photometric data of NN Vir for light curve analysis. The available spectroscopic data of NN Vir is new and we also used the first radial velocity data of this system obtained by Rusinski & Lu (1999) for analysis. The radial velocity and light curves analysis was made with the latest version ofWilson program(1998) and the geometric and physical elements of the system are derived. By searching the simultaneous solutions of the system, we have determined the masses and radii of the components : 1.89(M_⊙) and 1.65(R_⊙) for the primary component; 0.93(M_⊙) and 1.23(R_⊙) for the secondary component. We estimated effective temperatures of 7030(K) for the primary and 6977(K) for the secondary component. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Preliminary results on the fundamental parameters of the eclipsing binary V398 Lacertae

The Hipparcos Space Astrometry Mission photometric observations of V398 Lac, led to the discovery of its variability, allowing to classify it as an eclipsing binary with an orbital period of about 5.4 days. This prompted us to acquire highresolution échelle spectra with the aim of performing accurate radial velocity measurements and to determine the main physical parameters of the system's components. We present, for the first time, a double‐lined radial velocity curve and determine the orbital and physical parameters of the two components, that can be classified both as late B‐type stars. In particular, we obtained an orbital inclination i ∼ 85°. With this value of the inclination, we deduced masses M₁ = 3.83±0.35 M_⊙ andM₂ = 3.29±0.32 M_⊙, and radii R₁ = 4.89±0.18 R_⊙ and R₂ = 2.45±0.11 R_⊙ for the more massive and less massive components, respectively. Both components are well inside their own Roche lobes. The mass ratio is M₂/M₁ ∼ 0.86. We derived also the projected rotational velocities as v₁ sin i = 79±2 km s^–1 and v² sin i = 19±2 km s^–1. Our measurements indicate that the rotation of the primary star is essentially pseudo‐synchronized with the orbital velocity at the periastron, while the secondary appears to rotate very slowly and has not yet attained synchronization. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Astrometric study of the triple star ADS 9173

An approximate orbit of the wide visual binary star ADS 9173 A(Bb) with a period of ～6000 yr has been determined for the first time by the method of apparent motion parameters. The orbit was computed using a short (1982–2004) arc of photographic observations obtained with the 26-inch Pulkovo Observatory refractor and the Hipparcos parallax. Agreement of the new orbit with the observations from the WDS catalog beginning in 1832 serves as a check. The errors in the orbital elements are large, but the orientation elements of the orbital plane (i and Ω) were estimated reliably. Component B has an invisible spectroscopic companion with a period of 4.9 yr. An astrometric orbit of Bb consistent with radial velocity measurements was determined from the residuals to the relative orbital motion of A(Bb). The orbital planes are nearly coplanar. If the mass of component B is taken in accordance with the mass—luminosity relation, 1.5 M _⊙, and the parallax is 0.″021, then the mass of the secondary component is no less than 0.5M _⊙. Component A may also be a long-period binary system.     

The ever challenging emission‐line binary β Lyrae

A brief history of investigations of Lyr, an emission‐line binary and one of the first ever discovered Be stars is presented. A rather fast progress in the understanding of this enigmatic object during the past fifteen years is then discussed in some detail. The current picture of β Lyr is that it is an eclipsing binary in a stage of mass transfer between the components. The mass‐losing star is a B6‐8II object, with a mass of about 3 M_⊙, which is filling the Roche lobe and sending material towards its more massive companion at a rate of about 2 × 10^—5 M_⊙ yr^—1. This leads to the observed rapid increase of the orbital period at a rate of 19 s per year. The mass‐gaining star is as early B star with a mass of about 13 M_⊙. It is completely hidden inside an opaque accretion disk, jet‐like structures, perpendicular to the orbital plane and a light‐scattering halo above the poles of the star. The observed radiation of the disk corresponds to an effective temperature which is much lower than what would correspond to an early B star. The disk shields the radiation of the central star in the directions along the orbital plane and redistributes it in the directions perpendicular to it. That is why the mass‐losing star appears brighter of the two in the optical region of the spectrum. At present, rather reliable estimates of all basic properties of the binary and its components are available. However, in spite of great progress in understanding the system in recent years, some disagreement between the existing models and observed phase variations still remains, both for continuum and line spectrum, which deserves further effort.     

Composite spectra: XX. 45 Cancri

From accurate radial‐velocity measurements covering 11 circuits of the orbit of the composite‐spectrum binary 45 Cnc, together with high‐resolution spectroscopy spanning nearly 3 circuits, we have (i) isolated cleanly the spectrum of the early‐type secondary, (ii) classified the component spectra as G8 III and A3 III, (iii) derived the first double‐lined orbit for the system and a mass ratio (M₁/M₂) of 1.035 ± 0.01, and (iv) extracted physical parameters for the component stars, deriving the masses and (log) luminosities of the G star and A star as 3.11 and 3.00 M_⊙, and 2.34 and 2.28 L_⊙, respectively, with corresponding uncertainties of ±0.10 M_⊙ and ±0.09 L_⊙. Since the mass ratio is close to unity, we argue that the more evolved component is unlikely to have been a red giant long enough to have made multiple ascents of the RGB, an argument that is supported somewhat by the rather high eccentricity of the orbit (e = 0.46) and the evolutionary time‐scales of the two components, but chiefly by the presence of significant Li I in the spectrum of the cool giant. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

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)     

Supernovae in close binaries

The impact of a supernova shell onto 2.82M _⊙ and 20.0M _⊙ main-sequence stars is investigated for various initial orbital separations, and various supernova shell masses and velocities. The inelastic collision between the star and the supernova shell, the shock propagation into the companion star, and other forms of momentum transfer such as the rocket effect are considered. The total momentum transfer due to the supernova is insufficient to eject the companion from the binary as long as the companion retains most of its mass, regardless of the initial orbital separation. Ejection of the companion may occur if the companion is nearly destroyed. Even in contact binaries destruction does not necessarily occur, and if the orbital separation exceeds 10¹² cm, destruction of the companion becomes quite unlikely.     

Speckle observations with PISCO in Merate: VIII. Astrometric measurements of visual binaries in 2007 and new orbits of the multiple system Zeta Aqr

We present relative astrometric measurements of visual binaries made during the second semester of 2007, with the speckle camera PISCO at the 102 cm Zeiss telescope of Brera Astronomical Observatory, in Merate. Our sample contains orbital couples as well as binaries whose motion is still uncertain. We obtained 283 new measurements of 279 objects, with angular separations in the range 0″.17–4″.4, and an average accuracy of 0″.014. The mean error on the position angles is 0°.6. Most of the position angles were determined without the usual 180° ambiguity with the application of triple‐correlation techniques and/or by inspection of the long integration files. We also present the new orbit we have computed for Zeta Aqr AB (ADS 15971), for which our measurements lead to large residuals with the previously computed orbit. We were also able to compute the elements of the perturbation orbit Bb‐P caused by an invisible companion, whose mass is estimated at 0.7 M_⊙ (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Orbite de L'Étoile Burnham 1164 – ADS 1156 B–765 (95 Piscium)

The physical and orbital elements of the binary star ADS 1156 = B 1164 (α₁₉₀₀ = 01^h 22^m.0, δ₁₉₀₀ = + 04°50′) are determined. The absolute visual magnitudes of the two components are 3^m.72 resp. 3^m.97, the masses 1.43 M⊙ resp. 1.33 M⊙.     

Orbite de l'etoile double visuelle ADS 1538 = Σ 186

The physical and orbital elements of the binary star ADS 1538 = Σ 168 (α₁₉₀₀ = 01^h50^m.7, δ₁₉₀₀ = +01°21'; α₂₀₀₀ = 01^h55^m·8, δ₂₀₀₀ = +01°51') are determined. The absolute visual magnitudes of the two components are 4^m.04 resp. 4^m.17, the masses 1.34 M_⊙ resp. 1.29 M_⊙.     

First light curve and period study of LO Andromedae

New BV light curves and times of minimum light for the short period W UMa system LO And were analyzed to derive the preliminary physical parameters of the system. The light curves were obtained at Ankara University Observatory during 5 nights in 2003. A new ephemeris is determined for the times of primary minimum. The analysis of the light curves is made using the Wilson‐Devinney 2003 code. The present solution reveals that LO And has a photometric mass ratio q = 0.371 and is an A‐type contact binary. The period of the system is still increasing, which can be attributed to light‐time effect and mass transfer between the components. With the assumption of coplanar orbit of the third body the revealed mass is M₃ = 0.21M_⊙. If the period change dP/dt = 0.0212 sec/yr is caused only by the mass transfer between components (from the lighter component to the heavier) the calculated mass transfer rate is dm/dt = 1.682×10⁻⁷M_⊙/yr. The absolute radii and masses estimated for the components, based on our photometric solution and the absolute parameters of the systems which have nearly same period are R₁ = 1.30R_⊙, R₂ = 0.85R_⊙, M₁ = 1.31M_⊙, M₂ = 0.49M_⊙ respectively for the primary and secondary components. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Discovery of a companion at the brown dwarf limit to the solar‐type star Gliese 29

Gliese 29 is a 7 to 8 Gyr old, southern Population I turnoff star with a large proper motion of 1″/yr. Using recent direct imaging observations with the 0.8 m Infrared Imaging System (IRIS) of the Universitätssternwarte Bochum near Cerro Armazones in Chile, we demonstrate that the faint source 2MASS J00402651–5927168 at a projected angular separation ρ = 6.″35 is a common‐proper‐motion companion to Gl 29. Provided this source is not part of a further subsystem, the IRIS J ‐ and K_s‐band photometry either implies a spectral type of about L2, based on its absolute magnitude, or an approximate mass M_B ≃ 0.077 M_⊙, suggesting that it may even be a brown dwarf. Assuming a face‐on circular orbit this faint companion orbits Gl 29 in 1880 years. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Light‐time effect in the eclipsing binary system AM Leonis

We report four new times of minimum light and the improved ephemeris for the well known contact binary AM Leo. The O‐C diagram, constructed with all reliable timings found in the literature was analyzed and the the light‐time effect in the system was confirmed. We found a periodicity of 44.82 years in the O‐C residuals with an amplitude of 0.0058 day. The periodic curve representing the O‐C values is asymmetric indicating a large eccentricity of 0.73 of the third body orbit. The mass of the third body is found to be 0.175 M_⊙ for the orbital inclination of the eclipsing pair's orbit. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Spectrum Disentangling and Orbital Solution for κ Dra

Based on a new set of electronic spectra in a relatively wide spectral range (3500–8300 Å) and using the methods of spectrum disentangling (code KOREL) and solution of RV curves (code FOTEL), we determined new orbital elements of the binary star κ Dra. The solution of the radial velocity curves for Balmer and some other strong metallic lines suggested a circular orbit and led to the following orbital elements: period P = 61.555 ± 0.029 days, epoch of periastron passage T _periast = 49980.22 ± 0.59, RV semi-amplitude K ₁ = 6.81 ± 0.24 km s^?1, and a mass function of f(m) = 0.002 M _⊙. Lines of the secondary were not detected. In addition, moving absorption bumps in the violet peaks of Hα and Hβ lines were found to be phase-locked with the orbital period. Their presence suggests some kind of interaction between the binary components.     

High-eccentricity planets from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search

We report Doppler measurements of the stars HD 187085 and HD 20782 which indicate two high eccentricity low-mass companions to the stars. We find HD 187085 has a Jupiter-mass companion with a ∼1000-d orbit. Our formal 'best-fitting' solution suggests an eccentricity of 0.47, however, it does not sample the periastron passage of the companion and we find that orbital solutions with eccentricities between 0.1 and 0.8 give only slightly poorer fits (based on rms and  χ²_ν  ) and are thus plausible. Observations made during periastron passage in 2007 June should allow for the reliable determination of the orbital eccentricity for the companion to HD 187085. Our data set for HD 20782 does sample periastron and so the orbit for its companion can be more reliably determined. We find the companion to HD 20782 has   M sin   i = 1.77 ± 0.22  M _Jup  , an orbital period of 595.86 ± 0.03 d and an orbit with an eccentricity of 0.92 ± 0.03. The detection of such high-eccentricity (and relatively low-velocity amplitude) exoplanets appears to be facilitated by the long-term precision of the Anglo-Australian Planet Search. Looking at exoplanet detections as a whole, we find that those with higher eccentricity seem to have relatively higher velocity amplitudes indicating higher mass planets and/or an observational bias against the detection of high-eccentricity systems.     

The spectroscopic orbit of the K‐giant binary γ Canis Minoris

We have determined an improved orbit for the bright, evolved, double lined binary γ Canis Minoris. The system has an orbital period of 389.31 days and an eccentricity of 0.2586. We have revised the secondary to primary mass ratio to 0.987. The spectral types of the primary and secondary are K4 III and K1: III, respectively, and the components have a V magnitude difference of 2.2. Orbital fits to the Hipparcos astrometry are not definitive, but they suggest an orbital inclination of ∼ 66°, which produces masses of 1.88 and 1.85 M_⊙ for the components. A comparison with evolutionary tracks results in an age of 1.3 Gyr. STELLA very low amplitude radial velocity residuals of the secondary indicate a period of 278 days. We interpret this as the rotation period of the secondary, detectable because of star spots rotating in and out of view. This period is nearly identical to the pseudosynchronous rotation period of the star. The primary is rotating more slowly than its pseudosynchronous rate. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

An Investigation of the Physical Mechanisms of Orbital Period Variations of the Semidetached Binary UW Vir

The orbital period variations of the Algol-type semidetached binary UW Vir are analyzed. It is shown that in addition to a long-term rapid increase (dP/dt = + 1.37 × 10⁻⁶ day/year), its orbit period has a variation with the period of 62.3 years. Based on the basic physical parameters given by Brancewicz and Dworak in 1980, the physical mechanisms causing the orbital period variations are investigated. The analysis indicates that the periodical variation of orbital period can be interpreted by the light-travel time effect due to the presence of a third body with the mass of M₃ ≥ 0.94 M. As no observational information has been reported for this tertiary component, it might be a compact object (e.g., a white dwarf). The long-term increase of orbital period can be explained in terms of the mass transfer from the secondary to the primary component (dM₂/dt = 1.43 × 10⁻⁷ M/year). This is in agreement with the semidetached configuration of the system with a lobe-filling secondary component. But according to the evolution theory of binaries, the Algol-type semidetached binary UW Vir should be at the evolutionary stage of slow mass transfer on the nuclear-reaction timescale of the secondary component. However, the analysis shows that the timescale for the periodical variation of orbital period is much shorter than the nuclear-reaction timescale of the secondary component, but close to the thermodynamic timescale of the secondary. This reveals that: (1) This binary system is at the evolutionary stage of rapid mass transfer on the thermodynamic timescale of the secondary component; or (2) The circumstellar matter of the system makes a contribution to the rapid increase of orbital period via the angular momentum transfer.     

The spectroscopic and interferometric orbit of Gliese 150.2

We determined the spectroscopic-interferometric orbit of the binary red dwarf Gliese 150.2 with a period of 13.84 yr and a semimajor axis of 0.257 arcsec. Based on the orbital elements and on accurate measurements of the magnitude difference at several wavelengths, we estimated the spectral types and masses of the components (K0 V and M0 V, 0.79 and 0.55M _⊙) and the dynamical parallax of the binary (40.4 mas).     

The short‐period low‐mass binary system CC Com revisited

In this study we determined precise orbital and physical parameters of the very short‐period low‐mass contact binary system CC Com. The parameters are obtained by analysis of new CCD data combined with archival spectroscopic data. The physical parameters of the cool and hot components are derived as M_c = 0.717(14) M_⊙, M_h = 0.378(8) M_⊙, R_c = 0.708(12) R_⊙, R_h = 0.530(10) R_⊙, L_c = 0.138(12) L_⊙, and L_h = 0.085(7) L_⊙, respectively, and the distance of the system is estimated as 64(4) pc. The times of minima obtained in this study and with those published before enable us to calculate the mass transfer rate between the components which is 1.6 × 10^–8 M_⊙ yr^–1. Finally, we discuss the possible evolutionary scenario of CC Com (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)