A Python Code to Determine Orbital Parameters of Spectroscopic Binaries

TL;DR

This paper introduces an open-source Python tool, BinaryStarSolver, that accurately determines orbital parameters of spectroscopic binary stars from radial velocity data, aiding both amateur and professional astronomers.

Contribution

The paper presents a new Python code that automates the calculation of spectroscopic binary orbital elements from radial velocity measurements.

Findings

Successfully determines six orbital parameters from data.

Provides additional calculations of semi-major axis and mass function.

Accessible to both amateurs and professionals.

Abstract

We present the open source Python code BinaryStarSolver that solves for the orbital elements of a spectroscopic binary system. Given a time-series of radial velocity measurements, six orbital parameters are determined: the long-term mean, or systemic, radial velocity, the velocity amplitude, the argument of periastron, the eccentricity, the epoch of periastron, and the orbital period referred to by $\{{\gamma, K, \omega, e, T_0, P}\}$ respectively. Also returned to the user is the projected length of the semi-major axis, $a_{1}\sin(i)$, and the mass function, $f(M)$. The determination of spectroscopic orbits and masses is an example of another important area of astrophysics, once the domain of professional astronomers, to which amateurs can now make significant contributions. This code, available from GitHub, is provided in support of that work, and should be of general use to the amateur and professional astronomical community.