A Search for Hierarchical Triples using Kepler Eclipse Timing

We present the first results of a Kepler survey of 41 eclipsing binaries that we undertook to search for third star companions. Such tertiaries will periodically alter the eclipse timings through light travel time and dynamical effects. We discuss the prevalence of starspots and pulsation among thes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2012-03
Main Authors: Gies, D R, Williams, S J, Matson, R A, Guo, Z, Thomas, S M, Orosz, J A, Peters, G J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Angular momentum
Binary stars
Eclipses
Eclipsing binary stars
Starspots
Travel time
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Summary:We present the first results of a Kepler survey of 41 eclipsing binaries that we undertook to search for third star companions. Such tertiaries will periodically alter the eclipse timings through light travel time and dynamical effects. We discuss the prevalence of starspots and pulsation among these binaries and how these phenomena influence the eclipse times. There is no evidence of short period companions (P < 700 d) among this sample, but we do find evidence for long term timing variations in 14 targets (34%). We argue that this finding is consistent with the presence of tertiary companions among a significant fraction of the targets, especially if many have orbits measured in decades. This result supports the idea that the formation of close binaries involves the deposition of angular momentum into the orbital motion of a third star.
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.1204.0030