BSN: The First Light Curve Analysis of the Total Eclipse Binary System EL Tuc

TL;DR

This study presents the first light curve analysis of the total eclipse binary system EL Tuc, revealing its physical parameters and classification as a W-type contact binary using photometric and Gaia data.

Contribution

First light curve analysis of EL Tuc using PHOEBE and MCMC, providing detailed system parameters and classification as a W-type contact binary.

Findings

EL Tuc is a total contact binary with a low mass ratio of 0.172.

The system has an orbital inclination of approximately 83.74 degrees.

EL Tuc's absolute parameters were derived and its classification as W-type confirmed.

Abstract

We conducted the first light curve study of the binary star EL Tuc within the Binary Systems of South and North (BSN) Project framework. The photometric observations were made using standard multiband BVRI filters at an observatory in Argentina. We presented a new ephemeris for EL Tuc and a linear fit to the O-C diagram, utilizing our extracted times of minima and additional literature. We employed the PHysics Of Eclipsing BinariEs (PHOEBE) Python code and the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach for the system's light curve analysis. The target system's light curve solution required a cold starspot on the hotter component. We conclude that EL Tuc is a total contact binary system with a low mass ratio of q=0.172+_0.002, an orbital inclination of i=83.74+_0.40 degree, and a fillout factor of f=53.7+_1.6%. We used the P-a relationship and the Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) parallax method to determine the absolute parameters of EL Tuc to compare the precision of our results. This system was classified as W-type based on the mass and effective temperature of the companion stars. The positions of the systems were depicted on the M-L, M-R, T-M, and q-L_ratio diagrams. The relationship between the spectroscopic and photometric mass ratios of binaries was discussed.