The short period end of the contact binary period distribution based on the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS)

Aug, 2007
5 pages
Published in:
  • Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc. 382 (2007) 393
e-Print:

Citations per year

200720102013201620191420
Abstract: (arXiv)
The search-volume corrected period distribution of contact binaries of the W UMa type appears to reflect primarily the constant number ratio of ~1/500 to the number of stars along the Main Sequence/ there exist no evidence for angular momentum evolution. The maximum in contact binary numbers is located at shorter periods than estimated before, P ~ 0.27 d. The drop in numbers towards the cut-off at P ~ 0.215 - 0.22 d still suffers from the small number statistics while the cut-off itself remains unexplained. Only one out of seven short-period ASAS variables with P<0.22 d have been retained in the sample considered here within 8 < V < 13/ this short-period field-sky record holder at P=0.2178 d should be studied.
  • STARS ECLIPSING
  • STARS EVOLUTION