Searching for compact objects in binaries with Gaia DR3

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the potential of Gaia DR3 data to identify candidate binary systems containing compact objects, by applying specific selection criteria and analyzing observational inconsistencies.

Contribution

The paper introduces a method for selecting candidate binaries with compact objects using Gaia DR3 data and highlights the feasibility of such searches in large astronomical datasets.

Findings

Two candidate systems may contain compact objects.

Seven targets showed inconsistent observational data.

The approach demonstrates the potential of Gaia DR3 for compact object searches.

Abstract

We search for compact objects in binaries based on Gaia DR3. A sample of ten targets is derived under the conditions: radial velocity variable, low temperature ($T_{\rm eff} < 6000$ K), high mass function ($f(M_2) > 1 M_\odot$), and ellipsoidal-like light curves. Two targets have LAMOST spectroscopic observations, one of which is a double-lined spectroscopic binary. The observational data of seven targets are not self-consistent, since their photometric periods are even shorter than the theoretical minimum orbital periods calculated by the stellar parameters from Gaia DR3. After excluding these seven inconsistent targets and another target contaminated by a near-bright star, the remaining two targets may contain compact objects worth follow-up observations. This work may serve as an example to demonstrate the feasibility of searching for compact objects in the massive Gaia data.