Characterization of CoRoT Target Fields with the Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope: Identification of Periodic Variable Stars in the LRa1 Field

TL;DR

This study uses the Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope to identify and classify periodic variable stars in the CoRoT LRa1 field, aiding in the preparation for the space mission's data analysis.

Contribution

First comprehensive variability survey of the CoRoT LRa1 field using BEST, identifying 39 periodic variables and confirming some known variables.

Findings

39 periodic variable stars identified

27 variables within CoRoT's field of view

Confirmed variability for 4 known GCVS stars

Abstract

In this paper, we report on observations of the CoRoT LRa1 field with the Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope (BEST). The current paper is part of a series of papers describing the results of our stellar variability survey. The BEST is a small aperture telescope with a wide field of view (FOV). It is dedicated to searching for stellar variability within the target fields of the CoRoT space mission to aid in minimizing false-alarm rates and identify potential targets for additional science. The LRa1 field is CoRoT's second long run field located in the galactic anticenter direction. We observed the LRa1 stellar field on 23 nights between November and March 2005/2006. From 6099 stars marked as variable, 39 were classified as periodic variable stars and 27 of them are within the CoRoT FOV. We also confirmed the variability for four stars listed in the General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS).