Where Are The Circumbinary Planets of Contact Binaries?

TL;DR

This paper investigates the absence of detected circumbinary planets around contact binaries by simulating light curves, suggesting either their non-formation or current observational limitations hinder their discovery.

Contribution

The study introduces simulations of contact binary light curves with potential transiting circumbinary jovian planets to explore the reasons for their non-detection.

Findings

Circumbinary jovian planets may not form around contact binaries due to dynamical effects.

Detection of such planets is hindered by distortions in photometric data.

Their absence could be due to formation issues or observational challenges.

Abstract

Up to present date, no circumbinary planet around contact binaries were discovered neither by transit method nor by the minima times variation, although they are known having third component stars around. We thus ask: where are the circumbinary planets of contact binaries? By considering the physical and geometrical parameters we simulated the light curves of contact binaries with possible transiting circumbinary jovian planets. It seems either the circumbinary jovian planets are not formed around contact binaries, probably due to dynamical effects of the binary and third component stars, or they are present but the discovery of such planets were not possible so far due to larger distortions then expected in the photometric data and in the minima times.