A BVRcIc Survey of W Ursae Majoris Binaries

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive BVRcIc photometric survey of 606 W Ursae Majoris binary stars, providing accurate color data and analyzing interstellar reddening methods to improve understanding of these contact binary systems.

Contribution

It offers the largest uniform photometric dataset for W UMa binaries and compares two methods for estimating interstellar reddening, highlighting their effectiveness and limitations.

Findings

Good agreement with previous photometry for some systems

Two reddening estimation methods show consistency for a subset of 101 systems

Provides accurate color measurements for 606 W UMa binaries

Abstract

We report on a BVRcIc survey of field W Ursae Majoris binary stars and present accurate colors for 606 systems that have been observed on at least three photometric nights from a robotic observatory in southern Arizona. Comparison with earlier photometry for a subset of the systems shows good agreement. We investigate two independent methods of determining the interstellar reddening, although both have limitations that can render them less effective than desired. A subset of 101 systems shows good agreement between the two reddening methods.