101 Eclipsing Quadruple Star Candidates Discovered in TESS Full Frame Images

TL;DR

This paper presents a catalog of 101 quadruple star candidates discovered in TESS data, confirmed through machine learning and citizen science, with some systems showing dynamical interactions and complex hierarchical structures.

Contribution

The study introduces a new catalog of quadruple star candidates identified in TESS data, including detailed analysis and confirmation methods, and highlights systems with interesting dynamical features.

Findings

101 quadruple star candidates identified

Some systems show eclipse time variations indicating interactions

One candidate is an eclipsing quintuple system

Abstract

We present our second catalog of quadruple star candidates, containing 101 systems discovered in TESS Full-Frame Image data. The targets were initially detected as eclipsing binary stars with the help of supervised machine learning methods applied to sectors Sectors 1 through 54. A dedicated team of citizen scientists subsequently identified through visual inspection two sets of eclipses following two different periods. All 101 systems presented here pass comprehensive photocenter motion tests confirming that both sets of eclipses originate from the target star. Some of the systems exhibit prominent eclipse time variations suggesting dynamical interactions between the two component binary stars. One target is an eclipsing quintuple candidate with a (2+1)+2 hierarchical configuration, such that the (2+1) subsystem produces eclipses on the triple orbit as well. Another has recently been confirmed as the second shortest period quadruple reported to date. This catalog provides ephemerides, eclipse depths and durations, sample statistics, and highlights potentially interesting targets for future studies.