ABSTRACT
We report the results of the photodynamical analyses of four compact, tight triple stellar systems, KICs 6964043, 5653126, 5731312, and 8023317, based largely on Kepler and TESS data. All ...systems display remarkable eclipse timing and eclipse depth variations, the latter implying a non-aligned outer orbit. Moreover, KIC 6964043 is also a triply eclipsing system. We combined photometry, ETV curves, and archival spectral energy distribution data to obtain the astrophysical parameters of the constituent stars and the orbital elements with substantial precision. KICs 6964043 and 5653126 were found to be nearly flat with mutual inclinations imut = 4${_{.}^{\circ}}$1 and 12${_{.}^{\circ}}$3, respectively, while KICs 5731312 and 8023317 (imut = 39${_{.}^{\circ}}$4 and 55${_{.}^{\circ}}$7, respectively) are found to lie in the high imut regime of the von Zeipel-Kozai-Lidov (ZKL) theorem. We show that, currently, both high inclination triples exhibit observable unusual retrograde apsidal motion. Moreover, the eclipses will disappear in all but one of the four systems within a few decades. Short-term numerical integrations of the dynamical evolution reveal that both high inclination triples are currently subject to ongoing, large amplitude (Δe ∼ 0.3) inner eccentricity variations on centuries-long time-scales, in accord with the ZKL theorem. Longer-term integrations predict that two of the four systems may become dynamically unstable on ∼ Gyr time-scales, while in the other two triples common envelope phases and stellar mergers may occur. Finally, we investigate the dynamical properties of a sample of 71 KIC/TIC triples statistically, and find that the mutual inclinations and outer mass ratios are anticorrelated at the 4σ level. We discuss the implications for the formation mechanisms of compact triples.
ABSTRACT
We report the discovery of a compact triply eclipsing triple star system in the southern continuous viewing zone of the TESS space telescope. TIC 278825952 is a previously known, but ...unstudied circular eclipsing binary with a period of 4.781 d with a tertiary component in a wider, circular orbit of 235.55-d period that was found from three sets of third-body eclipses and from light travel-time effect dominated eclipse timing variations. We performed a joint photodynamical analysis of the eclipse timing variation curves, photometric data, and the spectral energy distribution, coupled with the use of PARSEC stellar isochrones. We find that the inner binary consists of slightly evolved, near twin stars of masses of 1.12 and 1.09 M⊙ and radii of 1.40 and 1.31 R⊙. The third, less massive star has a mass of 0.75 M⊙ and radius of 0.70 R⊙. The low mutual inclination and eccentricities of the orbits show that the system is highly coplanar and surprisingly circular.
ABSTRACT
We report the discovery and complex analyses of the first two compact hierarchical triple star systems discovered with TESS in or near its southern continuous viewing zone during Year 1. ...Both TICs 167692429 and 220397947 were previously unknown eclipsing binaries, and the presence of a third companion star was inferred from eclipse timing variations exhibiting signatures of strong third-body perturbations and, in the first system, also from eclipse depth variations. We carried out comprehensive analyses, including the simultaneous photodynamical modelling of TESS and archival ground-based WASP light curves, as well as eclipse timing variation curves. Also, for the first time, we included in the simultaneous fits multiple star spectral energy distribution data and theoretical PARSEC stellar isochrones, taking into account Gaia DR2 parallaxes and catalogued metallicities. We find that both systems have twin F-star binaries and a lower mass tertiary star. In the TIC 167692429 system, the inner binary is moderately inclined (imut = 27°) with respect to the outer orbit, and the binary versus outer (triple) orbital periods are 10.3 versus 331 d, respectively. The mutually inclined orbits cause a driven precession of the binary orbital plane that leads to the disappearance of binary eclipses for long intervals. In the case of TIC 220397947, the two orbital planes are more nearly aligned and the inner versus outer orbital periods are 3.5 and 77 d, respectively. In the absence of radial velocity observations, we were unable to calculate highly accurate masses and ages for the two systems. According to stellar isochrones TIC 167692429 might be either a pre-main sequence (MS) or an older post-MS system. In the case of TIC 220397947, our solution prefers a young pre-MS scenario.
ABSTRACT
We report the discovery in TESS Sectors 3 and 4 of a compact triply eclipsing triple star system. TIC 209409435 is a previously unknown eclipsing binary with a period of 5.717 d, and the ...presence of a third star in an outer eccentric orbit of 121.872-d period was found from two sets of third-body eclipses and from eclipse timing variations. The latter exhibits signatures of strong third-body perturbations. After the discovery, we obtained follow-up ground-based photometric observations of several binary eclipses as well as another of the third-body eclipses. We carried out comprehensive analyses, including the simultaneous photodynamical modelling of TESS and ground-based light curves (including both archival WASP data, and our own follow-up measurements), as well as eclipse timing variation curves. Also, we have included in the simultaneous fits multiple star spectral energy distribution data and theoretical PARSEC stellar isochrones. We find that the inner binary consists of near twin stars of mass 0.90 M⊙ and radius 0.88 R⊙. The third star is just 9 per cent more massive and 18 per cent larger in radius. The inner binary has a rather small eccentricity, while the outer orbit has e = 0.40. The inner binary and outer orbit have inclination angles within 0.1° and 0.2° of 90°, respectively. The mutual inclination angle is ≲1/4°. All of these results were obtained without radial velocity observations.
Aims.
We compiled a list of more than 3500 eclipsing binaries located in and near the northern continuous viewing zone (NCVZ) of the TESS space telescope that have sufficient TESS photometry to ...search for additional hidden components in these systems. In addition to discovering their hierarchical nature, we also determined their orbital parameters and analyzed their distributions.
Methods.
We obtained the TESS light curves of all targets in an automated way by applying convolution-aided differential photometry on the TESS full-frame images from all available sectors up to sector 60. Using a new self-developed Python GUI, we visually confirmed all of these light curves, determined the eclipsing periods of the objects, and calculated their eclipse-timing variations (ETVs). The ETV curves were used in order to search for nonlinear variations that could be attributed to a light travel-time effect (LTTE) or dynamical perturbations caused by additional components in these systems. We preselected 351 such candidates and modeled their ETVs with the analytic formulae of pure LTTE or with a combination of LTTE and dynamical perturbations.
Results.
We were able to fit a model solution for the ETVs of 135 hierarchical triple candidates, 10 systems of which were known from the literature, and the remaining 125 systems are new discoveries. These systems include some more noteworthy ones, such as five tight triples that are very close to their dynamical stability limit with a period ratio lower than 20, and three newly discovered triply eclipsing triples. We point out that dynamical perturbations occur in GZ Dra, which we found to be a triple, and that the system is one of the most strongly inclined systems known in the literature, with
i
m
= 58° ±7°. We also compared the distributions of some orbital parameters from our solutions with those from a previous
Kepler
sample. Finally, we verified the correlations between the available parameters for systems that have
Gaia
non-single star orbital solutions with those from our ETV solutions.
ABSTRACT
In this work we report the discovery and analysis of three new triply eclipsing triple star systems found with the TESS mission during its observations of the northern skies: TICs 193993801, ...388459317, and 52041148. We utilized the TESS precision photometry of the binary eclipses and third-body eclipsing events, ground-based archival and follow-up photometric data, eclipse timing variations, archival spectral energy distributions, as well as theoretical evolution tracks in a joint photodynamical analysis to deduce the system masses and orbital parameters of both the inner and outer orbits. In one case (TIC 193993801) we also obtained radial velocity measurements of all three stars. This enabled us to ‘calibrate’ our analysis approach with and without ‘truth’ (i.e. RV) data. We find that the masses are good to 1–3 per cent accuracy with RV data and 3–10 per cent without the use of RV data. In all three systems we were able to find the outer orbital period before doing any detailed analysis by searching for a longer-term periodicity in the ASAS-SN archival photometry data – just a few thousand ASAS-SN points enabled us to find the outer periods of 49.28 d, 89.86 d, and 177.0 d, respectively. From our full photodynamical analysis we find that all three systems are coplanar to within 1°−3°. The outer eccentricities of the three systems are 0.003, 0.10, and 0.62, respectively (i.e. spanning a factor of 200). The masses of the three stars {Aa, Ab, and B} in the three systems are: {1.31, 1.19, 1.34}, {1.82, 1.73, 2.19}, and {1.62, 1.48, 2.74} M⊙, respectively.
Context . Ultra-hot Jupiters (UHJs) orbiting pulsating A/F stars represent an important subset of the exoplanetary demographic. They are excellent candidates for the study of exoplanetary ...atmospheres, and are astrophysical laboratories for the investigation of planet-to- star interactions. Aims . We analysed the TESS light curve of the WASP-167 system, consisting of an F1V star and a substellar companion on a ~ 2.02 day orbit. Methods . We modelled the combination of the ellipsoidal variability and the Doppler beaming to measure the mass of WASP-167b, and the reflection effect to obtain constraints on the geometric albedo, while placing a special emphasis on noise separation. We implemented a basic model to determine the dayside ( T Day ), nightside ( T Night ), and intrinsic ( T Internal ) temperatures of WASP-167b, and put a constraint on its Bond albedo. Results . We confirm the transit parameters of the planet seen in the literature. We find that a resonant ~ 2 P −1 stellar signal (which may originate from planet-to-star interactions) interferes with the phase curve analysis. After careful and thought-out treatment of this signal, we find M p = 0.34 ± 0.22 M J . We measure a dayside temperature of 2790 ± 100 K, classifying WASP-167b as an UHJ. We find a 2 σ upper limit of 0.51 on its Bond albedo, and determine the geometric albedo at 0.34 ± 0.11 (1 σ uncertainty). Conclusions . With an occultation depth of 106.8 ± 27.3 ppm in the TESS passband, the UHJ WASP-167b is an excellent target for atmospheric studies, especially those at thermal wavelength ranges, where the stellar pulsations are expected to be less influential.
ABSTRACT
In this work, we report the discovery and analysis of six new compact triply eclipsing triple star systems found with the TESS mission: TICs 37743815, 42565581, 54060695, 178010808, ...242132789, and 456194776. All of these exhibit distinct third-body eclipses where the inner eclipsing binary (EB) occults the third (‘tertiary’) star, or vice versa. We utilized the TESS photometry, archival photometric data, and available archival spectral energy distribution curves (SED) to solve for the properties of all three stars, as well as many of the orbital elements. We describe in detail our SED fits, search of the archival data for the outer orbital period, and the final global photodynamical analyses. From these analyses, we find that all six systems are coplanar to within 0°−5°, and are viewed nearly edge on (i.e. within a couple of degrees). The outer orbital periods and eccentricities of the six systems are {Pout (days), e}: {68.7, 0.36}, {123, 0.16}, {60.7, 0.01}, {69.0, 0.29}, {41.5, 0.01}, {93.9, 0.29}, respectively, in the order the sources are listed above. The masses of all 12 EB stars were in the range of 0.7–1.8 M⊙ and were situated near the main sequence. By contrast, the masses and radii of the tertiary stars ranged from 1.5 to 2.3 M⊙ and 2.9 to 12 R⊙, respectively. We use this information to estimate the occurrence rate of compact flat triple systems..