[en] We present the physical properties of KIC 5621294, showing light and timing variations from the Kepler photometry. Its light curve displays partial eclipses and the O’Connell effect, with Max II fainter than Max I, which was fitted quite well by applying third-body and spot effects to the system. The results indicate that the eclipsing pair is a classical Algol-type system with parameters of q = 0.22, i = 76.°8, and Δ(T₁−T₂) = 4235 K, in which the detached primary component fills about 77% of its limiting lobe. Striking discrepancies exist between the primary and secondary eclipse times obtained with the method of Kwee and van Woerden. These are mainly caused by surface inhomogeneities due to spot activity detected in our light curve synthesis. The 1253 light curve timings from the Wilson–Devinney code were used for a period study. It was found that the orbital period of KIC 5621294 has varied due to periodic variation overlaid on a downward parabola. The sinusoidal variation with a period of 961 days and a semi-amplitude of 22.5 s most likely arises from a light-time effect due to a third component with a mass of M₃sini₃ = 46.9 M_Jup, which is in good agreement with that calculated from the light curve itself. If its orbital inclination is larger than about 40°, the mass of the circumbinary object would possibly match a brown dwarf. The parabolic variation could not be fully explained by either a mass transfer between the binary components or angular momentum via magnetic braking. It is possible that the parabola may be the only observed part of a period modulation caused by the presence of another companion in a wider orbit.

[en] We present new long-term CCD photometry for EP And acquired during the period 2007-2012. The light curves display total eclipses at primary minima and season-to-season light variability. Our synthesis for all available light curves indicates that the eclipsing pair is a W-type overcontact binary with parameters of q = 2.578, i = 83.°3, ΔT = 27 K, f = 28%, and l₃ = 2%-3%. The asymmetric light curves in 2007 were satisfactorily modeled by a cool spot on either of the eclipsing components from a magnetic dynamo. Including our 95 timing measurements, a total of 414 times of minimum light spanning about 82 yr was used for a period study. A detailed analysis of the eclipse timing diagram revealed that the orbital period of EP And has varied as a combination of an upward-opening parabola and two periodic variations, with cycle lengths of P₃ = 44.6 yr and P₄ = 1.834 yr and semi-amplitudes of K₃ = 0.0100 days and K₄ = 0.0039 days, respectively. The observed period increase at a fractional rate of +1.39 × 10^–10 is in excellent agreement with that calculated from the W-D code and can be plausibly explained by some combination of mass transfer from the primary to the secondary star and angular momentum loss due to magnetic braking. The most reasonable explanation for both cycles is a pair of light-travel-time effects driven by the possible existence of a third and fourth component with projected masses of M₃ = 0.25 M_☉ and M₄ = 0.90 M_☉. The more massive companion could be revealed using high-resolution spectroscopic data extending over the course of a few years and could also be a binary itself. It is possible that the circumbinary objects may have played an important role in the formation and evolution of the eclipsing pair, which would cause it to have a short initial orbital period and thus evolve into an overcontact configuration by angular momentum loss.

[en] We present new photometric data of the transiting planet HAT-P-12b observed in 2011. Our three transit curves are modeled using the JKTEBOP code and adopting the quadratic limb-darkening law. Including our measurements, 18 transit times spanning about 4.2 yr were used to determine the improved ephemeris with a transit epoch of 2,454,187.85560 ± 0.00011 BJD and an orbital period of 3.21305961 ± 0.00000035 days. The physical properties of the star-planet system are computed using empirical calibrations from eclipsing binary stars and stellar evolutionary models, combined with both our transit parameters and previously known spectroscopic results. We found that the absolute dimensions of the host star are M_A = 0.73 ± 0.02 M_☉, R_A = 0.70 ± 0.01 R_☉, log g_A = 4.61 ± 0.02, ρ_A = 2.10 ± 0.09 ρ_☉, and L_A = 0.21 ± 0.01 L_☉. The planetary companion has M_b = 0.21 ± 0.01 M_Jup, R_b = 0.94 ± 0.01 R_Jup, log g_b = 2.77 ± 0.02, ρ_b = 0.24 ± 0.01 ρ_Jup, and T_eq = 960 ± 14 K. Our results agree well with standard models of irradiated gas giants with a core mass of 11.3 M_⊕.

[en] In a recent study, Armstrong et al. presented an eclipsing binary star of about 6.2 hr period with transit-like tertiary signals occurring every 204.2 days in the Kepler public data of KIC002856960 and proposed three possible hierarchical structures: (AB)b, (AB)C, and A(BC). We analyzed the Kepler light curve by including a third light source and one starspot on each binary component. The results represent that the close eclipsing pair is in a low-mass eccentric-orbit, detached configuration. Based on 123 eclipse timings calculated from the Wilson-Devinney binary model, a period study of the close binary reveals that the orbital period has experienced a sinusoidal variation with a period and a semi-amplitude of 205 ± 2 days and 0.0021 ± 0.0002 days, respectively. The period variation would be produced by the light-travel-time effect due to a gravitationally bound third body with a minimum mass of M ₃sin i ₃ = 0.76 M _☉ in an eccentric orbit of e ₃ = 0.61. This is consistent with the presence of third light found in our light curve solution and the tertiary signal of 204.2 day period most likely arises from the K-type star crossed by the close eclipsing binary. Then, KIC002856960 is a triply eclipsing hierarchical system, A(BC), consisting of a close binary with two M-type dwarfs and a more massive K-type component. The presence of the third star may have played an important role in the formation and evolution of the close pair, which may ultimately evolve into a contact system by angular momentum loss.

[en] We present new multiband CCD photometry for WZ Cyg made on 22 nights in two observing seasons of 2007 and 2008. Our light-curve synthesis indicates that the system is in poor thermal contact with a fill-out factor of 4.8% and a temperature difference of 1447 K. Including our 40 timing measurements, a total of 371 times of minimum light spanning more than 112 yr were used for a period study. Detailed analysis of the O-C diagram showed that the orbital period has varied by a combination of an upward parabola and a sinusoid. The upward parabola means continuous period increase and indicates that some stellar masses are thermally transferred to the more massive primary star at a rate of about 5.80 x 10^-8 M_sun yr^-1. The sinusoidal variation with a period of 47.9 yr and a semi-amplitude of 0.008 days can most likely be interpreted as the light-travel-time effect due to the existence of a low-mass M-type tertiary companion with a projected mass of M₃sin i₃ = 0.26 M_sun. We examined the evolutionary status of WZ Cyg from the absolute dimensions of the eclipsing pair. It belongs to the marginal contact binary systems before the broken contact phase, consisting of a massive primary star with spectral type F4 and a secondary star with type K1.

[en] In a recent study, Lee et al. presented new photometric follow-up timing observations of the semidetached binary system SZ Herculis and proposed the existence of two hierarchical cirumbinary companions. Based on the light-travel time effect, the two low-mass M-dwarf companions are found to orbit the binary pair on moderate to high eccentric orbits. The derived periods of these two companions are close to a 2:1 mean-motion orbital resonance. We have studied the stability of the system using the osculating orbital elements as presented by Lee et al. Results indicate an orbit-crossing architecture exhibiting short-term dynamical instabilities leading to the escape of one of the proposed companions. We have examined the system's underlying model parameter space by following a Monte Carlo approach and found an improved fit to the timing data. A study of the stability of our best-fitting orbits also indicates that the proposed system is generally unstable. If the observed anomalous timing variations of the binary period is due to additional circumbinary companions, then the resulting system should exhibit a long-term stable orbital configuration much different from the orbits suggested by Lee et al. We, therefore, suggest that based on Newtonian-dynamical considerations, the proposed quadruple system cannot exist. To uncover the true nature of the observed period variations of this system, we recommend future photometric follow-up observations that could further constrain eclipse-timing variations and/or refine light-travel time models.

[en] We present the discovery of Kepler-453 b, a 6.2 $R_{\oplus <!--\; ???\; -->}$ planet in a low-eccentricity, 240.5 day orbit about an eclipsing binary. The binary itself consists of a 0.94 and 0.195 $M_{\odot <!--\; ???\; -->}$ pair of stars with an orbital period of 27.32 days. The plane of the planet's orbit is rapidly precessing, and its inclination only becomes sufficiently aligned with the primary star in the latter portion of the Kepler data. Thus three transits are present in the second half of the light curve, but none of the three conjunctions that occurred during the first half of the light curve produced observable transits. The precession period is ∼103 years, and during that cycle, transits are visible only ∼8.9% of the time. This has the important implication that for every system like Kepler-453 that we detect, there are ∼11.5 circumbinary systems that exist but are not currently exhibiting transits. The planet's mass is too small to noticeably perturb the binary, and consequently its mass is not measurable with these data; however, our photodynamical model places a 1σ upper limit of $16M_{\oplus <!--\; ???\; -->}$. With a period 8.8 times that of the binary, the planet is well outside the dynamical instability zone. It does, however, lie within the habitable zone of the binary, making it the third of 10 Kepler circumbinary planets to do so.