Eclipsing Binaries Found by the EREBOS Project: Gaia DR2 6097540197980557440 -- A Deeply Eclipsing sdB+dM System

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery and detailed analysis of a new deeply-eclipsing hot subdwarf B + M dwarf binary system from the Gaia DR2 catalog, providing insights into its orbital and stellar parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a newly discovered HW Vir system with detailed spectroscopic and photometric analysis, including atmospheric modeling and mass-radius characterization.

Findings

Orbital period of 0.127037 days, typical for HW Vir systems.

Radial velocity semi-amplitude among the highest for such binaries.

Companion M dwarf appears inflated and is among the most massive in its class.

Abstract

We present time-series spectroscopy and photometry of Gaia DR2 6097540197980557440, a new deeply-eclipsing hot subdwarf B (sdB) + M dwarf (dM) binary. We discovered this object during the course of the Eclipsing Reflection Effect Binaries from Optical Surveys (EREBOS) project, which aims to find new eclipsing sdB+dM binaries (HW Vir systems) and increase the small sample of studied systems. In addition to the primary eclipse, which is in excess of $\sim$5 magnitudes in the optical, the light curve also shows features typical for other HW Vir binaries such as a secondary eclipse and strong reflection effect from the irradiated, cool companion. The orbital period is 0.127037 d ($\sim$3 hr), falling right at the peak of the orbital period distribution of known HW Vir systems. Analysis of our time-series spectroscopy yields a radial velocity semi-amplitude of $K_{\rm sdB}=100.0\pm2.0\,{\rm km\,s}^{-1}$, which is amongst the fastest line-of-sight velocities found to date for an HW Vir binary. State-of-the-art atmospheric models that account for deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium are used to determine the atmospheric parameters of the sdB. Although we cannot claim a unique light curve modeling solution, the best-fitting model has an sdB mass of $M_{\rm sdB} = 0.47\pm0.03\,M_{\odot}$ and a companion mass of $M_{\rm dM} = 0.18\pm0.01\,M_{\odot}$. The radius of the companion appears to be inflated relative to theoretical mass-radius relationships, consistent with other known HW Vir binaries. Additionally, the M dwarf is one of the most massive found to date amongst this type of binary.