Searching for Contact Binaries with LAMOST and TESS

TL;DR

This study identifies 1,281 contact binary candidates using TESS photometry and LAMOST spectroscopy, including 266 new discoveries, to enhance understanding of their physical properties and evolution.

Contribution

The paper presents a large sample of contact binaries combining photometric and spectroscopic data, with many newly reported systems, providing new constraints on their physical and evolutionary characteristics.

Findings

Identified 1,281 contact binary candidates from TESS and LAMOST data.

Discovered 266 new contact binaries not previously reported.

Sample offers insights into the physical scales and population distribution of CBs.

Abstract

Contact binaries (CBs) serve as fundamental laboratories for studying complex stellar interactions, including mass transfer, tidal effects, and angular momentum loss. In this work, we search for CB with high-precision light curves from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and large radial-velocity variation from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST). We derive a sample of 1,281 CB candidates, among which 266 are newly reported. Our sample with both high-precision photometry and medium-resolution spectra may provide new constraints on the physical scales, luminosity calibration, and population distribution of CBs, offering valuable insights into their evolutionary role within the stellar population.