HW Virginis

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HW Virginis
HW Virginis.png

The HW Virginis system in Celestia.
Observation data
Epoch J2000       Equinox J2000
Constellation Virgo
Right ascension 12h 44m 20.2387s [1]
Declination −08° 40 16.8486 [1]
Apparent magnitude  (V)10.69 [2]
Characteristics
Spectral type sdB / dM [3]
Variable type eclipsing binary
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ)RA: 8.969±0.175 [1]   mas/yr
Dec.: −15.677±0.107 [1]   mas/yr
Parallax (π)5.7972 ± 0.0849  mas [1]
Distance 563 ± 8  ly
(172 ± 3  pc)
Absolute magnitude  (MV)4.22 (sdB) + 15.59 (dM) [4]
Absolute bolometric
magnitude
 (Mbol)
1.46 (sdB) + 11.20 (dM) [4]
Orbit [4]
Period (P)0.11671967 d
Semi-major axis (a)0.860 ± 0.010  R
Eccentricity (e)<0.0003
Inclination (i)80.98 ± 0.10°
Details [4]
sdB
Mass 0.485 ± 0.013  M
Radius 0.183 ± 0.026  R
Luminosity 19.7 ± 5.6  L
Temperature 28488 ± 208  K
dM
Mass 0.142 ± 0.004  M
Radius 0.175 ± 0.026  R
Luminosity0.003 ± 0.001  L
Temperature 3084 ± 889  K
Other designations
BD−07 3477, HIP  62157, 2MASS J12442024-0840168 [5]
Database references
SIMBAD data

HW Virginis, abbreviated HW Vir, is an eclipsing binary system (of the Algol type), approximately 563 light-years away based on the parallax measured by the Gaia spacecraft, [1] in the constellation of Virgo. The system comprises an eclipsing B-type subdwarf star and red dwarf star. The two stars orbit each other every 0.116795 days. [6]

Contents

Eclipse timing variations

A light curve for HW Virginis, plotted from TESS data HWVirLightCurve.png
A light curve for HW Virginis, plotted from TESS data

Based on variations in the timing of the system's eclipses, in 2008 it was claimed that two giant planets were in orbit around the binary, with masses of 8.47 and 19.2 times the mass of Jupiter orbiting with periods of 9.1 and 15.8 years respectively. [8] The proposed system was later shown to be extremely unstable, with mean lifetimes less than 1000 years in the parameter space allowed by the uncertainties in the data. [9] An alternate, dynamically-stable orbital solution was proposed with a 14.3 Jupiter mass object on a 12-year orbit and an outer companion of 65 Jupiter masses on a 55-year orbit, [10] however it has been noted that the outer companion's orbital parameters are highly unconstrained, again casting doubt on the reality of this model. [9] The problems with modelling this system and the proposed planets orbiting several other post-common envelope binaries has led to the suggestion that the eclipse timing variations used to infer the existence of planets has a non-planetary origin. [11] The eclipse timing variations of HW Virginis were shown to be incompatible with all previous planetary system models as of 2018, [12] and again in 2021. [4] However, eclipse timing variations cannot be explained by known stellar mechanisms either. [4] There is tentative evidence for the presence of a planet from astrometric measurements, [13] with future data releases of the Gaia spacecraft [1] being predicted to be able to fully confirm this.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circumbinary planet</span> Planet that orbits two stars instead of one

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NN Serpentis</span> Eclipsing post-common envelope binary star system in the constellation Serpens

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">QS Virginis</span> Eclipsing binary star in the constellation Virgo

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">HU Aquarii</span> Star in the constellation Aquarius

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kepler-34</span> Eclipsing binary star in the constellation Cygnus

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kepler-35</span> Binary star system in the constellation Cygnus

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">TOI-1338</span> Binary star system in the constellation Pictor

TOI-1338 is a binary star system located in the constellation Pictor, about 1,320 light-years from Earth. It is orbited by two known circumbinary planets, TOI-1338 b, discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and BEBOP-1c, discovered by the Binaries Escorted By Orbiting Planets project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NY Virginis</span> Binary star in the constellation Virgo

NY Virginis is a binary star about 1,940 light-years away. The primary belongs to the rare class of subdwarf B stars, being former red giants with their hydrogen envelope completely stripped by a stellar companion. The companion is a red dwarf star. The binary nature of NY Virginis was first identified in 1998, and the extremely short orbital period of 0.101016 d, together with brightness variability on the timescale of 200 seconds was noticed, resulting in the identification of the primary star as a B-type subdwarf in 2003. Under a proposed classification scheme for hot subdwarfs it would be class sdB1VII:He1. This non-standard system indicates that it is a "normal" luminosity for a hot subdwarf and that the spectrum is dominated by hydrogen rather than helium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AG Virginis</span> Eclipsing binary star in the constellation Virgo

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">BH Virginis</span> Eclipsing binary star in the constellation Virgo

BH Virginis is a binary star system in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. With a typical apparent visual magnitude of 9.6, it is too faint to be visible to the naked eye. Based on parallax measurements, it is located at a distance of approximately 488 light years from the Sun. The system is drifting closer with a net radial velocity of −23 km/s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GG Carinae</span>

GG Carinae is a binary star system in the southern constellation of Carina, abbreviated GG Car. It is a variable star with a brightness that fluctuates around an apparent visual magnitude of 8.67, making it too faint to be visible to the naked eye. The distance to this system is approximately 8,000 light years based on parallax measurements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AH Virginis</span> Star in the constellation Virgo

AH Virginis is a contact binary star system in the equatorial constellation of Virgo, abbreviated AH Vir. It is a variable star with a brightness that peaks at an apparent visual magnitude of 9.18, making it too faint to be viewed with the naked eye. The distance to this system is approximately 338 light years based on parallax measurements, and it is drifting further away with a mean radial velocity of 7 km/s. O. J. Eggen in 1969 included this system as a probable member of the Wolf 630 group of co-moving stars.

References

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  2. Høg, E.; Fabricius, C.; Makarov, V. V.; Urban, S.; Corbin, T.; Wycoff, G.; Bastian, U.; Schwekendiek, P.; Wicenec, A. (2000). "The Tycho-2 catalogue of the 2.5 million brightest stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 355: L27. Bibcode:2000A&A...355L..27H. doi:10.1888/0333750888/2862.
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  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brown-Sevilla, S. B.; Nascimbeni, V.; Borsato, L.; Tartaglia, L.; Nardiello, D.; Granata, V.; Libralato, M.; Damasso, M.; Piotto, G.; Pollacco, D.; West, R. G.; Colombo, L. S.; Cunial, A.; Piazza, G.; Scaggiante, F. (2021). "A new photometric and dynamical study of the eclipsing binary star HW Virginis". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 506 (2): 2122–2135. arXiv: 2106.15632 . doi:10.1093/mnras/stab1843. ISSN   0035-8711.
  5. "HW Virginis". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  6. Kiss, L. L.; Csák, B.; Szatmáry, K.; Furész, G.; Sziládi, K. (2000). "Spectrophotometry and period analysis of the sdB eclipsing binary HW Virginis". Astronomy and Astrophysics . 364: 199–204. arXiv: astro-ph/0010446 . Bibcode:2000A&A...364..199K.
  7. "MAST: Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes". Space Telescope Science Institute. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  8. Lee, Jae Woo; Kim, Seung-Lee; Kim, Chun-Hwey; Koch, Robert H.; Lee, Chung-Uk; Kim, Ho-Il; Park, Jang-Ho (2009). "The sdB+M Eclipsing System HW Virginis and its Circumbinary Planets". The Astronomical Journal. 137 (2): 3181–3190. arXiv: 0811.3807 . Bibcode:2009AJ....137.3181L. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/137/2/3181. S2CID   14152006.
  9. 1 2 Horner, J.; Hinse, T. C.; Wittenmyer, R. A.; Marshall, J. P.; Tinney, C. G. (2012). "A dynamical analysis of the proposed circumbinary HW Virginis planetary system". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 427 (4): 2812–2823. arXiv: 1209.0608 . Bibcode:2012MNRAS.427.2812H. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.22046.x. S2CID   53349383.
  10. Beuermann, K.; Dreizler, S.; Hessman, F. V.; Deller, J. (2012). "The quest for companions to post-common envelope binaries. III. A reexamination of HW Virginis". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 543: id.A138. arXiv: 1206.3080 . Bibcode:2012A&A...543A.138B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219391. S2CID   53680945.
  11. Jonathan Horner; Robert Wittenmyer; Tobias Hinse; Jonathan Marshall; Alex Mustill (2014). "Wobbling Ancient Binaries - Here Be Planets?". arXiv: 1401.6742 [astro-ph.EP].
  12. Baran, A. S.; Østensen, R. H.; Telting, J. H.; Vos, J.; Kilkenny, D.; Vučković, M.; Reed, M. D.; Silvotti, R.; Jeffery, C. S.; Parsons, S. G.; Dhillon, V. S.; Marsh, T. R. (2018). "Pulsations and eclipse-time analysis of HW Vir". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 481 (2): 2721–2735. doi: 10.1093/mnras/sty2473 . hdl: 10566/5082 .
  13. Baycroft, Thomas A; Triaud, Amaury H M J; Kervella, Pierre (2023-09-13). "New evidence about HW Vir's circumbinary planets from Hipparcos-Gaia astrometry and a reanalysis of the eclipse timing variations using nested sampling". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 526 (2): 2241–2250. doi: 10.1093/mnras/stad2794 . ISSN   0035-8711.