Eclipse timing variations in 7 post-common envelope binaries: an update on recent circumbinary models

TL;DR

This study presents new eclipse timing data for seven post-common envelope binaries and evaluates recent circumbinary models, finding none fit the data well and suggesting multiple mechanisms may be involved.

Contribution

Provides extensive new eclipse timing observations for seven PCEBs and critically assesses recent circumbinary models against this data.

Findings

None of the recent models fit the new data accurately.

Alternative mechanisms like magnetic effects do not explain the observations.

A combination of mechanisms may be needed to account for ETVs.

Abstract

Eclipsing, short-period post-common envelope binaries (PCEBs) have been studied for several decades by eclipse timing variations (ETVs) which have been interpreted as being caused by circumbinary bodies. In this paper we report 355 new observations of 7 PECBs (HS0705+6700, NN Ser, NSVS 07826147, NSVS 14256825, NY Vir, QS Vir and RR Cae) and examine how the recent proposed models of these systems compare with our new observations. We find that none of the 18 recent models fit accurately with our data. We review alternative mechanisms of the ETVs, including magnetic effects, but conclude that they do not predict our results. Although we cannot exclude the presence of circumbinary bodies a combination of several mechanisms may be required to explain the observed ETVs.