Aims. The X-ray emission of contact binaries (EW-type) is an important facet of such systems. Thus, X-ray emitting EW-type binaries (EWXs) are ideal laboratories for studying the X-ray radiation saturation mechanisms as well as binary evolution. By assembling the largest sample to date of EWXs with periods of less than 1 day from the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae Variable Stars Database and X-ray catalogs from the XMM-Newton and ROSAT missions, we aim to conduct a systematic population study of X-ray emission properties of EWXs within 1 kpc. Methods. We carried out correlation analyses for the X-ray luminosity, logL X , and X-ray activity level log(L X /L bol ) versus the orbital period, P, effective temperature, T eff , metallicity [Fe/H], and the surface gravity log g of EWXs. We investigated the relation between X-ray emission and the mass of component stars in the binary systems. We also performed sample simulations to explore the degeneracy between period, mass, and effective temperature for EWXs. Results. We find strong P-logL X and P-log(L X /L bol ) correlations for EWXs with P < ∼ 0.44 days and we provide the linear parametrizations for these relations, on the basis of which the orbital period can be treated as a good predictor for logL X and log(L X /L bol ). The aforementioned binary stellar parameters are all correlated with logL X , while only T eff exhibits a strong correlation with log(L X /L bol ). Then, EWXs with higher temperature show lower X-ray activity level, which could indicate the thinning of the convective area related to the magnetic dynamo mechanism. The total X-ray luminosity of an EWX is essentially consistent with that of an X-ray saturated main sequence star with the same mass as its primary, which may imply that the primary star dominates the X-ray emission. The monotonically decreasing P-log(L X /L bol ) relation and the short orbital periods indicate that EWXs could all be in the X-ray saturated state, and they may inherit the changing trend of the saturated X-ray luminosities along with the mass shown by single stars. For EWXs, the orbital period, mass, and effective temperature increase in concordance. We demonstrate that the period P = 0.44 days corresponds to the primary mass of ∼ 1.1M , beyond which the saturated X-ray luminosity of single stars will not continue to increase with mass. This explains the break in the positive P-logL X relation for EWXs with P > 0.44 days.

We perform a detailed analysis of the Kepler target KIC 5768203 based on the Kepler and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data. Three independent frequencies are detected by Fourier analysis of the Kepler long-cadence data: two pulsation frequencies f P0 = 7.807874(2) day−1 and f P1 = 9.970035(6) day−1, which have amplitudes below 1.4 mmag in the Kepler band, and one modulation frequency f rot = 0.45813(1) day−1. Based on a period ratio of 0.7803, f P0 and f P1 are supposed to be radial frequencies. However, further confirmation is needed. Based on the triplets and phase variations of the two pulsation frequencies, the star is possibly a δ Sct pulsator in a binary system. The modulation frequency f rot and its four harmonics could be attributed to the stellar rotation and surface spots. With the rotation frequency f rot, the rotation velocity of the star is estimated to be 75(3) km s−1. By analyzing the phase diagram without pulsations, it is inferred that there are starspots (or clusters of starspots) of large area on the surface of KIC 5768203. These starspots are slowly evolving in position and brightness over the course of the Kepler long-cadence observations. The finding of the rotation frequency in the TESS data implies the long-term presence of starspots on the surface of KIC 5768203.

The optical light curves of quiescent black hole low-mass X-ray binaries often exhibit significant nonellipsoidal variabilities, showing the photospheric radiation of the companion star is veiled by other sources of optical emission. Assessing this “veiling” effect is critical to the black hole mass measurement. Here in this work, we carry out a strictly simultaneous spectroscopic and photometric campaign on the prototype of black hole low-mass X-ray binary A0620-00. We find that for each observation epoch, the extra optical flux beyond a pure ellipsoidal modulation is positively correlated with the fraction of veiling emission, indicating the accretion disk contributes most of the nonellipsoidal variations. Meanwhile, we also obtain a K2V spectral classification of the companion, as well as the measurements of the companion’s rotational velocity v sin i = 83.8 ± 1.9 km s−1 and the mass ratio between the companion and the black hole q = 0.063 ± 0.004.