Multi-Filter Photometric Analysis of Three β Lyrae-type Eclipsing Binary Stars

Volume 43 number 2 (2015)

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Tyler Gardner

Truman State University, Department of Physics, 100 E. Normal, Kirksville, MO 63501; gokhale@truman.edu

Gage Hahs

Truman State University, Department of Physics, 100 E. Normal, Kirksville, MO 63501; gokhale@truman.edu

Vayujeet Gokhale

Truman State University, Department of Physics, 100 E. Normal, Kirksville, MO 63501; gokhale@truman.edu

Abstract

We present light curve analysis of three variable stars, ASAS J105855+1722.2, NSVS 5066754, and NSVS 9091101. These objects are selected from a list of beta Lyrae candidates published by Hoffman et al. (2008). Light curves are generated using data collected at the the 31-inch NURO telescope at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, in three filters: Bessell B, V, and R. Additional observations were made using the 14-inch Meade telescope at the Truman State Observatory in Kirksville, Missouri, using Baader R, G, and B filters. In this paper, we present the light curves for these three objects and generate a truncated eight-term Fourier fit to these light curves. We use the Fourier coefficients from this fit to confirm ASAS J105855+1722.2 and NSVS 5066754 as β Lyrae-type systems, and NSVS 9091101 to possibly be a RR Lyrae-type system. We measure the O’Connell effect observed in two of these systems (ASAS J105855+1722.2 and NSVS 5066754), and quantify this effect by calculating the “Light Curve Asymmetry” (LCA) and the “O’Connell Effect Ratio” (OER).