Detailed TESS-Based Light Curve Modeling and Fundamental Parameter Estimation of 27 W UMa-Type Contact Binaries

TL;DR

This study conducts a detailed light curve analysis of 27 W UMa-type contact binaries using TESS data, deriving their fundamental parameters and evolutionary states, and distinguishing between A- and W-subtypes through statistical analysis.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive light curve modeling of these 27 systems with MCMC refinement and starspot modeling, and identifies key parameters differentiating A- and W-subtypes.

Findings

Five systems are A-subtype, the rest are W-subtype.

Three targets have extremely low mass ratios confirmed as stable.

Lower-mass companions are more evolved than more massive ones.

Abstract

We performed a comprehensive analysis of 27 short period contact binary systems for which no light curve analysis had previously been reported. Photometric time-series data from the TESS mission were used in this analysis. The observational results were validated using additional TESS sectors, along with complementary photometric observations from the ASAS-SN survey. The photometric light curves of the 27 contact binary systems were analyzed with the BSN application. Model solutions were obtained through iterative fitting followed by MCMC-based refinement to derive reliable system parameters, and starspot configurations were incorporated for seven targets exhibiting O'Connell effect asymmetries. The absolute parameters of the target systems were derived using the empirical parameter relationship between orbital period and semi-major axis. Based on the results of the light curve solutions and the estimated absolute parameters, five of the analyzed systems are identified as A-subtype, while the remaining targets belong to the W-subtype. We analyzed a sample of 484 W UMa contact binaries to identify the physical and orbital parameters that most effectively distinguish A-subtype from W-subtype systems using t-statistics. Three targets exhibited extremely low mass ratios, and their orbital analysis confirmed that they are dynamically stable. The evolutionary states of the systems were examined, showing that lower-mass companions are generally more evolved, while more massive components remain less evolved. The positions of the systems and their stellar components were compared across four diagrams derived from empirical parameter relationship studies, showing good agreement with the linear fits.