Computer Science
Scientific paper
Feb 1999
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999noao.prop..302l&link_type=abstract
NOAO Proposal ID #1999A-0302
Computer Science
Scientific paper
Contact binaries (CBs) are a class of stars whose origin and fate remain controversial. Evolutionary scenarios suggest that these short- period binaries arise from angular momentum losses in close binary systems. Although contact binaries have been studied in some open clusters, the sample of known field galactic CBs (~500 candidates) suffers from several, systematic observational biases. The statistical distribution in orbital periods is unreliable because a large, systematic and complete survey for CB stars has never been conducted We propose to carry out the first systematic search for CBs amongst field galactic stars, using the 8Kx8K Mosaic CCD imager. With this instrument, we will detect ~1000-2000 new CBs in each field we examine. This unprecedented magnitude-limited sample will allow us to determine, for the first time, a statistically significant period distribution and color-period distribution for CBs. This will provide a stringent observational constraint over all future CB evolutionary models.
Lepine Sebastien
Shara Michael M.
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