Kepler Eclipsing Binary Stars. II. 2165 Eclipsing Binaries in the Second Data Release

TL;DR

This paper updates the catalog of Kepler eclipsing binary stars with new data, identifying 2165 systems, including interesting cases with tertiary eclipses and timing variations, enhancing our understanding of binary star populations.

Contribution

The study provides an expanded and refined catalog of Kepler eclipsing binaries with additional data, improved parameters, and identification of systems with complex features, advancing binary star research.

Findings

Total eclipsing binaries increased to 2165.

Discovered systems with tertiary eclipses and timing variations.

Removed false positives and blended systems from previous catalog.

Abstract

The Kepler Mission provides nearly continuous monitoring of ~156 000 objects with unprecedented photometric precision. Coincident with the first data release, we presented a catalog of 1879 eclipsing binary systems identified within the 115 square degree Kepler FOV. Here, we provide an updated catalog augmented with the second Kepler data release which increases the baseline nearly 4-fold to 125 days. 386 new systems have been added, ephemerides and principle parameters have been recomputed. We have removed 42 previously cataloged systems that are now clearly recognized as short-period pulsating variables and another 58 blended systems where we have determined that the Kepler target object is not itself the eclipsing binary. A number of interesting objects are identified. We present several exemplary cases: 4 EBs that exhibit extra (tertiary) eclipse events; and 8 systems that show clear eclipse timing variations indicative of the presence of additional bodies bound in the system. We have updated the period and galactic latitude distribution diagrams. With these changes, the total number of identified eclipsing binary systems in the Kepler field-of-view has increased to 2165, 1.4% of the Kepler target stars.