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Triple-Star Candidates Among the Kepler Binaries
- Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- We present the results of a search through the photometric database of eclipsing Kepler binaries (Prsa et al. 2011; Slawson et al. 2011) looking for evidence of hierarchical triple star systems. The presence of a third star orbiting the binary can be inferred from eclipse timing variations. We apply a simple algorithm in an automated determination of the eclipse times for all 2157 binaries. The "calculated" eclipse times, based on a constant period model, are subtracted from those observed. The resulting O-C (observed minus calculated times) curves are then visually inspected for periodicities in order to find triple-star candidates. After eliminating false positives due to the beat frequency between the ~1/2-hour Kepler cadence and the binary period, 39 candidate triple systems were identified. The periodic O-C curves for these candidates were then fit for contributions from both the classical Roemer delay and so-called "physical" delay, in an attempt to extract a number of the system parameters of the triple. We discuss the limitations of the information that can be inferred from these O-C curves without further supplemental input, e.g., ground-based spectroscopy. Based on the limited range of orbital periods for the triple star systems to which this search is sensitive, we can extrapolate to estimate that at least 20% of all close binaries have tertiary companions.<br />Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables; ApJ, 2013, 768, 33; corrected Fig. 7, updated references, minor fixes to text
Details
- Database :
- arXiv
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsarx.1302.0563
- Document Type :
- Working Paper
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/768/1/33