44 Boo – A unified integrated light curve analysis

Abstract

Radial velocity (RV) data from Lu et al. (2001) were combined with light curve (LC) data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in an integrated Wilson-Devinney analysis to yield fundamental parameters. Obtained were masses M 1 = 0.526 (5), M ʘ, and M 2 = 1.063 (7) M ʘ, stellar radii R1 = 0.65 (2) Rʘ, and R2 = 0.90 (1) Rʘ, and luminosities L1 = 0.40 (4) Lʘ and L2 = 0.62 (5) Lʘ. These are in reasonable agreement with the values from Hill et al. (1989). Additional analyses were carried out also using the same RV data but substituting, in turn, the LC datasets of Binnendijk (1955), Duerbeck (1978), Robb and Milone (1982) and Genet et al. (1982). While the four Earthbound LC datasets were of much lower precision than the satellite data, they still yielded reasonable agreement in the final parameters. Additionally, they yielded some insight as to the behaviour of the dark spot (on star 1) over some 75 years. The B and V light curve data of Duerbeck (1978) suggested that the unresolved companion is hot. An updated period study originally presented in Nelson et al. (2014) but now with a Light Time Effect (LiTE) fit is presented. Fifteen new times of minimum from the TESS data were added, requiring only a modest refinement of the LiTE parameters. The intrinsic rate of period change (that is, with the LiTE component removed) is dP/dt = 1.80 (20) x 10−7 seconds/year. If dP/dt can be attributed to conservative mass exchange, the rate would be dM1/dt = -2.33 (26) x 10−7 Mʘ/year. When the fundamental parameters for each star were added to the Log L vs Log T plot for EW-type binaries from Yakut and Eggleton (2005), the results suggested that star 1 of the W-type binary is under-luminous, while the cooler but larger secondary is somewhat evolved. Both are in a marginal contact, typical of W-type eclipsing binaries.