The Period Variation of and a Spot Model for the Eclipsing Binary AR Bootis

Abstract

New CCD photometric observations of the eclipsing system AR Boo were obtained from February 2006 to April 2008. The star's photometric properties are derived from detailed studies of the period variability and of all available light curves. We find that over about 56 years the orbital period of the system has varied due to a combination of an upward parabola and a sinusoid rather than in a monotonic fashion. Mass transfer from the less massive primary to the more massive secondary component is likely responsible for at least a significant part of the secular period change. The cyclical variation with a period of 7.57 yrs and a semi-amplitude of 0.0015 d can be produced either by a light-travel-time effect due to an unseen companion with a scaled mass of $M_3\sin i_3$=0.081 $M_{\odot }$ or by a magnetic period modulation in the secondary star. Historical light curves of AR Boo, as well as our own, display season-to-season light variability, which are best modeled by including both a cool spot and a hot one on the secondary star. We think that the spots express magnetic dynamo-related activity and offer limited support for preferring the magnetic interpretation of the 7.57-year cycle over the third-body understanding. Our solutions confirm that AR Boo belongs to the W-subtype contact binary class, consisting of a hotter, less massive primary star with a spectral type of G9 and a companion of spectral type K1.

30 pages, including 6 figures and 9 tables, accepted for publication in AJ

References in corpus (1)

• Contact Binaries with Additional Components.I. The Extant Data

Cited by in corpus (16)

• Mass loss out of close binaries. II
• The Pulsating sdB+M Eclipsing System NY Virginis and its Circumbinary Planets
• The sub-Saturn Mass Transiting Planet HAT-P-12b
• Starspots in contact and semi-detached binary systems
• The Light and Period Variations of the Eclipsing Binary BX Draconis
• The Varying Light Curve and Timings of the Ultra-short Period Contact Binary KIC 9532219
• Long-term Photometric Behavior of the Eclipsing Binary GW Cephei
• The Eclipsing System EP Andromedae and its Circumbinary Companions
• The First Comprehensive Photometric Study of the Algol-type System CL Aurigae
• Physical Properties of the Transiting Planetary System TrES-3
• An optical and X-ray study of the contact binary, BH Cassiopeiae
• Physical Nature and Timing Variations of the Eclipsing System V407 Pegasi
• Physical Properties of the Low-Mass Eclipsing Binary NSVS 02502726
• Long-term CCD Photometry and Physical Properties of the sdB+M Eclipsing System 2M 1533+3759
• On the RZ Draconis Sub-stellar Circumbinary Companions Stability Study of the Proposed Sub-stellar Circumbinary System
• The first photometric investigation of the contact binary OQ Cam