SS Ari: a shallow-contact close binary system

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the shallow-contact binary system SS Ari, revealing its contact degree, mass ratio, and potential third body, with two possible models for the third body's orbit and mass based on period analysis.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed light curve analysis of SS Ari and explores two models for a possible unseen third component affecting its orbital period.

Findings

SS Ari is a shallow contact binary with a contact factor of 9.4%.

Two models suggest a third body with different masses and orbital periods.

Evidence indicates an unseen third component in the system.

Abstract

Two CCD epochs of light minimum and a complete R light curve of SS Ari are presented. The light curve obtained in 2007 was analyzed with the 2003 version of the W-D code. It is shown that SS Ari is a shallow contact binary system with a mass ratio $q=3.25$ and a degree of contact factor f=9.4(\pm0.8%). A period investigation based on all available data shows that there may exist two distinct solutions about the assumed third body. One, assuming eccentric orbit of the third body and constant orbital period of the eclipsing pair results in a massive third body with $M_3=1.73M_{\odot}$ and P_3=87.0$yr. On the contrary, assuming continuous period changes of the eclipsing pair the orbital period of tertiary is 37.75yr and its mass is about $0.278M_{\odot}$. Both of the cases suggest the presence of an unseen third component in the system.