27th Annual Student Research Conference
Lightcurve Analysis of Eclipsing Binary Systems
Helen E. Stanley
Dr. Vayujeet Gokhale, Faculty Mentor
A binary star system consists of two gravitationally-bound stars orbiting a common center of mass. When the orbital plane of such stars is along our line of sight, the brightness of the system varies periodically as the two stars pass in front of one another. Moreover, some of these eclipsing binary systems contain a Delta Scuti component, which is itself a variable star experiencing change in brightness due to radial and non-radial pulsation. Using data collected at the Truman State Observatory, lightcurves were generated for the eclipsing binary V1104 Her and for candidate Delta Scuti systems CL Lyn and EW Boo. The analysis of these lightcurves will be presented as the basis for determining whether or not CL Lyn and EW Boo contain a Delta Scuti component and to identify properties of each of the three binary systems, including orbital separation, mass, and luminosity.
Keywords: astronomy, eclipsing binary, delta scuti, lightcurve, variable star
Topic(s):Astronomy
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 302-3
Location: MG 1096
Time: 1:30