The Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope II. Catalog of Variable Stars. I. Characterization of Three Southern Target Fields

TL;DR

This paper presents a catalog of 2,406 new variable stars and confirms variability in 17 known objects from a photometric survey of three southern fields, providing valuable data for astrophysical research.

Contribution

The study offers the first comprehensive catalog of variable stars in these fields, including detailed light curves and variability parameters, expanding the known stellar variability database.

Findings

Detected 2,406 new variable stars

Confirmed variability in 17 known objects

Identified 0.67% of stars as eclipsing binaries

Abstract

A photometric survey of three Southern target fields with BEST II yielded the detection of 2,406 previously unknown variable stars and an additional 617 stars with suspected variability. This study presents a catalog including their coordinates, magnitudes, light curves, ephemerides, amplitudes, and type of variability. In addition, the variability of 17 known objects is confirmed, thus validating the results. The catalog contains a number of known and new variables that are of interest for further astrophysical investigations, in order to, e.g., search for additional bodies in eclipsing binary systems, or to test stellar interior models. Altogether, 209,070 stars were monitored with BEST II during a total of 128 nights in 2009/2010. The overall variability fraction of 1.2-1.5% in these target fields is well comparable to similar ground-based photometric surveys. Within the main magnitude range of $R\in\left[11,17\right]$, we identify 0.67(3)% of all stars to be eclipsing binaries, which indicates a completeness of about one third for this particular type in comparison to space surveys.