1996/06/17 by A. B. Saust, Ann B. Saust
Physics and Astronomy · #Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/304665
11 pages, LaTex, 10 PostScript files, uses aaspp.sty and psfig. Submitted to Astropysical Journal
arxiv created 1996/06/17 · openalex publication_date 1997/10/10 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
A common remark at conferences and meetings has been: "One can fit any light curve with binary lens models because of the large number of parameters!" It is especially tempting to claim that some of the possible binary events in the Galactic microlensing searches could be caused by cataclysmic variables, since both phenomena exhibit asymmetric light curves. This paper presents a statistical analysis comparing the light curves of cataclysmic variable stars to the light curves generated from binary lens models. It is shown that the light curves of high-amplitude cataclysmic variables are one example of light curves that can not be explained with binary lens models. It is therefore not only unlikely but also impossible for cataclysmic variables to contaminate the binary microlens candidates.