1SWASP J075102.16+342405.3: A deep overcontact binary system with a period under the short period cut-off

Abstract

Abstract New photometry of two different seasons for the extremely short period eclipsing binary 1SWASP J075102.16+342405.3 were performed. The two sets of derived light curves show a large difference in their shape, i.e., the 2013 light curves show big asymmetry, whereas the 2014 light curve is almost symmetric. All light curves were analysed using the 2013 version of the Wilson–Devinney (W-D) code. The obtained solutions show that 1SWASP J075102.16+342405.3 is of the A subtype W UMa contact system with an extremely high fill-out of f ≈ 96% and a high mass ratio of 0.70–0.78. Furthermore, a third light contributing to the total flux of the system was found. All these properties make the system a very special short-period source. The analysis of the 2013 light curves proved that the changes in the light curve shape are caused by magnetic activities. By means of all available times of minimum light, the variation of the orbital period was studied. It was found that the O − C diagram implies an increasing orbital period over a time span of eight years, which may be caused by the mass transfer from the less massive component to the more massive one; however, we are more inclined to say that it is only a part of a long period cyclic variation which can be explained by the light-travel time effect (LTTE) via the third body.