An Orbital Stability Study of the Proposed Companions of SW Lyncis
We have investigated the dynamical stability of the proposed companions orbiting the Algol type short-period eclipsing binary SW Lyncis (Kim et al. 2010). The two candidate companions are of stellar to substellar nature, and were inferred from timing measurements of the system’s primary and second...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Korean Space Science Society
2014-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ocean.kisti.re.kr/downfile/volume/kosss/OJOOBS/2014/v31n3/OJOOBS_2014_v31n3_187.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797329430465478656 |
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| author | T. C. Hinse Jonathan Horner Robert A. Wittenmyer |
| author_facet | T. C. Hinse Jonathan Horner Robert A. Wittenmyer |
| author_sort | T. C. Hinse |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We have investigated the dynamical stability of the proposed companions orbiting the Algol type short-period eclipsing
binary SW Lyncis (Kim et al. 2010). The two candidate companions are of stellar to substellar nature, and were inferred
from timing measurements of the system’s primary and secondary eclipses. We applied well-tested numerical techniques to
accurately integrate the orbits of the two companions and to test for chaotic dynamical behavior. We carried out the stability
analysis within a systematic parameter survey varying both the geometries and orientation of the orbits of the companions,
as well as their masses. In all our numerical integrations we found that the proposed SW Lyn multi-body system is highly
unstable on time-scales on the order of 1000 years. Our results cast doubt on the interpretation that the timing variations
are caused by two companions. This work demonstrates that a straightforward dynamical analysis can help to test whether
a best-fit companion-based model is a physically viable explanation for measured eclipse timing variations. We conclude
that dynamical considerations reveal that the proposed SW Lyncis multi-body system most likely does not exist or the
companions have significantly different orbital properties from those conjectured in Kim et al. (2010). |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T07:05:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-42d8fa15eb894211b8a5a83f3ddd2722 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2093-5587 2093-1409 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T07:05:33Z |
| publishDate | 2014-09-01 |
| publisher | The Korean Space Science Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-42d8fa15eb894211b8a5a83f3ddd27222024-02-03T04:53:49ZengThe Korean Space Science SocietyJournal of Astronomy and Space Sciences2093-55872093-14092014-09-0131318719710.5140/JASS.2014.31.3.187An Orbital Stability Study of the Proposed Companions of SW LyncisT. C. Hinse0Jonathan Horner1Robert A. Wittenmyer2Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon 305-348, KoreaComputational Engineering and Science Research Centre, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, AustraliaAustralian Centre for Astrobiology, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, AustraliaWe have investigated the dynamical stability of the proposed companions orbiting the Algol type short-period eclipsing binary SW Lyncis (Kim et al. 2010). The two candidate companions are of stellar to substellar nature, and were inferred from timing measurements of the system’s primary and secondary eclipses. We applied well-tested numerical techniques to accurately integrate the orbits of the two companions and to test for chaotic dynamical behavior. We carried out the stability analysis within a systematic parameter survey varying both the geometries and orientation of the orbits of the companions, as well as their masses. In all our numerical integrations we found that the proposed SW Lyn multi-body system is highly unstable on time-scales on the order of 1000 years. Our results cast doubt on the interpretation that the timing variations are caused by two companions. This work demonstrates that a straightforward dynamical analysis can help to test whether a best-fit companion-based model is a physically viable explanation for measured eclipse timing variations. We conclude that dynamical considerations reveal that the proposed SW Lyncis multi-body system most likely does not exist or the companions have significantly different orbital properties from those conjectured in Kim et al. (2010).http://ocean.kisti.re.kr/downfile/volume/kosss/OJOOBS/2014/v31n3/OJOOBS_2014_v31n3_187.pdfstars: individual (SW Lyncis)stars: binariesmethods: n-bodymethods: celestial mechanics |
| spellingShingle | T. C. Hinse Jonathan Horner Robert A. Wittenmyer An Orbital Stability Study of the Proposed Companions of SW Lyncis Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences stars: individual (SW Lyncis) stars: binaries methods: n-body methods: celestial mechanics |
| title | An Orbital Stability Study of the Proposed Companions of SW Lyncis |
| title_full | An Orbital Stability Study of the Proposed Companions of SW Lyncis |
| title_fullStr | An Orbital Stability Study of the Proposed Companions of SW Lyncis |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Orbital Stability Study of the Proposed Companions of SW Lyncis |
| title_short | An Orbital Stability Study of the Proposed Companions of SW Lyncis |
| title_sort | orbital stability study of the proposed companions of sw lyncis |
| topic | stars: individual (SW Lyncis) stars: binaries methods: n-body methods: celestial mechanics |
| url | http://ocean.kisti.re.kr/downfile/volume/kosss/OJOOBS/2014/v31n3/OJOOBS_2014_v31n3_187.pdf |
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