A photometric study of NSVS 7453183: a probable quadruple system with long-term surface activity

TL;DR

This study analyzes NSVS 7453183, revealing it as a probable quadruple system with long-term surface activity, including a confirmed third star and a proposed fourth companion, along with surface activity variations on the primary star.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed photometric analysis confirming a quadruple system with a hierarchical structure and long-term surface activity variations.

Findings

Presence of a third stellar companion with a 425-day orbit.

Proposal of a fourth, likely brown dwarf, companion with a 12-year orbit.

Detection of surface activity and migration of dark regions on the primary star.

Abstract

The $VRC$ light curves were regularly measured for the eclipsing binary NSVS 7453183 as a part of our long-term observational project for studying of low-mass eclipsing binaries with a short orbital period and surface activity. The TESS light curve solution in Phoebe results to the detached configuration, where the temperature of primary component was adopted to $T_1$ = 4300 K according to the SED approximation. It gives us $T_2 =$ 4080 $\pm$ 100 K for the secondary component. The spectral type of the primary component was estimated to be K6 and the photometric mass ratio was derived $q = 0.86$. We confirm presence of the third body in this system, a stellar companion with a minimal mass 0.33 M$_{\rm Sun}$ orbiting the eclipsing pair with a short period about 425 days, and propose the next, fourth body with a longer orbiting period of about 12 years, probably a brown dwarf with the minimal mass of 50 M$_{\rm Jup}$. The hierarchical structure ((1+1)+1)+1 of this quadruple system is assumed. Characteristics and temporal variations of the dark region on the surface of the primary component were estimated. The average migration speed of about 10 deg/month was found during years 2020-2022.