A PHOTOMETRIC STUDY OF V508 CYGNI

Authors

• S.N. Goderya, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
• Kam-Ching Leung, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
• Edward G. Schmidt, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

7-1-1995

Comments

Published inThe Astronomical Journal 110:1 (July 1995), pp. 346-353. Published by the University of Chicago Press; copyright © American Astronomical Society; reproduced by permission of the AAS. http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/AJ/

Abstract

The Behlen observatory 0.76 m telescope CCD photometer has been used to obtain nearly 700 observations of the short period eclipsing binary V508 Cyg. These observations were done using V and R bandpass filters on 9 nights in 1992. Previously published light elements and the present eight determinations of eclipse timings are used to determine a new epoch and a more accurate orbital period of 0.7796587 days. The photometric observations and solutions which have been obtained with the 1993 version of the Wilson- Devinney model show that V508 Cyg is a W UMa type contact binary system. Analyses give two possible contact solutions of different mass ratios (q= m₂m₂, where star 1 is eclipsed at the primary minimum). One with q=0.44 gives an A-type W UMa system configuration, while the other with q=1.19 gives a W-type W UMa system configuration. V508 Cyg does not have a spectral classification, however, based on the color (V-R=0.566 Schmidt 1991b), we estimate it to be G5. Generally W UMa systems with spectral-type G5 have periods ranging from 0.25 to 0.5 days. The considerably longer period of V508 Cyg suggests that it may be an evolved contact system with case B mass transfer. Both solutions indicate that the two components have similar temperature and luminosities. It is suspected that this system may be a double lined spectroscopic binary. Therefore it is recommended that spectroscopic observations of V508 Cyg be obtained so that a unique mass ratio can be established.