New low mass ratio contact binaries in the Catalina Sky Survey

Abstract

We present the identification and photometric analysis of 30 new low mass ratio (LMR) totally eclipsing contact binaries found in Catalina Sky Survey data. The LMR candidates are identified using Fourier coefficients and visual inspection. We perform a detailed scan in the parameter plane of mass-ratio (𝑞) versus inclination (𝑖) using Phoebe-0.31 scripter to derive the best (𝑞, 𝑖) pair for the initial models. The relative physical parameters are determined from the final model of each system. A Monte-Carlo approach was adopted to derive the parameter errors. The resulting parameters confirm the identification. The approximate absolute physical parameters of the systems are estimated based on the light curve solutions and Gaia early Data Release 3 distances. Twelve out of 30 new systems have fill-out factors 𝑓 > 50% and 𝑞 ≤ 0.25 (deep contact LMR systems), and 8 of them, to within errors, are extreme LMR deep systems with 𝑞 ≤ 0.1. We discuss the evolutionary status of the 30 LMR systems in comparison with the most updated catalog of LMR systems from the literature. The scenario of the LMR systems as pre-merger candidates forming fast rotating stars is investigated for all systems, new and old, based both on Hut's stability criteria and critical instability mass ratio (𝑞 inst ) relation. CSS_J075848.2+125656, with 𝑞/𝑞 inst = 1.23 ± 0.23, and CSS_J093010.1-021624, with 𝑞/𝑞 inst = 1.25 ± 0.23, can be considered as merger candidates.