First Photometric Study of the Short Period Solar Type Binary V1073 Herculis and the Possible Detection of a Dwarf Companion

Volume 42 number 2 (2014)

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Ronald G. Samec
Faculty Research Associate, Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, One Pari Drive, Rosman, NC 28772; address email correspondence to ronaldsamec@gmail.com
James Kring
Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Engineering, Bob Jones University, 1700 Wade Hampton Boulevard, Greenville, SC 29614
Justin Benkendorf
Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Engineering, Bob Jones University, 1700 Wade Hampton Boulevard, Greenville, SC 29614
James Dignan
Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Engineering, Bob Jones University, 1700 Wade Hampton Boulevard, Greenville, SC 29614
Walter Van Hamme
Florida International University, Department of Physics, University Park, Miami, FL 33199
Danny R. Faulkner
Johnson Observatory, 1414 Bur Oak Court, Hebron, KY 41048

Abstract

V1073 Herculis is a very short period, P = 0.294281673(4) day, active solar type eclipsing binary. It was observed in May 2012 with the Lowell Observatory 31-inch NURO reflector. This period study consists of some 54 times of minimum light covering nearly 18,000 orbits. A very low amplitude, 0.002-day sinusoidal variation is detected with a period of 11.25 years, which may indicate the presence of a dwarf third component. The temperature of the binary is ~5200K. A preliminary simultaneous Wilson-Devinney Program solution including a q-search reveals that the system has a mass ratio of 0.4, nearly identical component temperatures, and a cool magnetic spot with a T-factor of 0.86 with a spot radius of 22 degrees. The Roche Lobe fill-out is 0.18. The inclination is 82 degrees which results in a brief total eclipse.