Forum der Vereinigung der Sternfreunde

The Variable Stars South organisation has posted details of a Pro Am campaign using variations in eclipse timing to search for exoplanets in eclipsing binary star systems.
http://www.variablestarssouth.org/index ... &Itemid=49
I wondered if the technique could be extended to non eclipsing systems using RV measurements to determine drifts in phase. Does anyone know if this technique has been used and whether it would be within the capability of our current amateur equipment?

Thanks
Robin

Hello Robin,

assumed the same configuration as in the URL of the project SPADES (see the graph below): a planet moves around a binary pair.

Then the system velocity of the binary system should have a sinus like variation.

The system velocity is a result of RV measurements (as I have done on Mizar A). Theoretical it could be possible to measure that, but
* the period P of the pair should be short to get enough revolutions in some years of observations
* the measurements of the orbit parameters, especially the system velocity, have to be very precise
* the effect of the planet should be strong on the barycenter of both stars (masses).

There should be made a theoretical calculation of the effect to guess the need of precision of the measurement of the orbit parameters.

An interesting question !!!!!

Cheers,
Lo

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Herzliche Grüße / best regards

Lothar

https://lotharschanne.wordpress.com/