2020/01/01 by L. V. Gramajo, T. Palma, D. Minniti +4 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Binary number #Binary star #Binary system #Contact binary #Light curve #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Window (computing) #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/pasa.2020.44
published in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia 37 (Cambridge University Press) · 14 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in PASA
openalex publication_date 2020/01/01 · arxiv created 2020/11/04 · openalex created_date 2020/11/09 · arxiv updated 2020/12/16 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Abstract We present the first results obtained from an extensive study of eclipsing binary (EB) system candidates recently detected in the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) near-infrared (NIR) Survey. We analyse the VVV tile d040 in the southern part of the Galactic disc wherein the interstellar reddening is comparatively low, which makes it possible to detect hundreds of new EB candidates. We present here the light curves and the determination of the geometric and physical parameters of the best candidates found in this ‘NIR window’, including 37 contact, 50 detached, and 13 semi-detached EB systems. We infer that the studied systems have an average of the Ks amplitudes of 0.8 mag and a median period of 1.22 days where, in general, contact binaries have shorter periods. Using the ‘Physics Of Eclipsing Binaries’ (PHOEBE) interactive interface, which is based on the Wilson and Devinney code, we find that the studied systems have low eccentricities. The studied EBs present mean values of about 5 700 and 4 900 K for the T1 and T2 components, respectively. The mean mass ratio ( q ) for the contact EB stars is ∼ 0.44. This new galactic disk sample is a first look at the massive study of NIR EB systems.