Per aspera ad astra
Per aspera ad astra
Project Solaris uses the method of eclipse timing of binary stars in order to search for circumbinary planets.
This method involves the study of deviations from the regularity of a periodic astronomical phenomenon. In this case, the phenomenon is a change of brightness of a binary system as a result of mutual components eclipses during their orbital motion. If there is any additional object in the system (e.g. planet), it causes a shift of the center of mass of the entire binary system, resulting in a periodic variation of the distance from the observer to a binary system with a period equal to the period of the third body in a system. As a result, due to the finite speed of light, brightness changes of a binary system reach the observer with a given irregularity. The main goal of the project is a detection of such irregularities. The abovementioned method was already used in the XVII century by Ole Rømer to estimate the speed of light by measuring the time of eclipses of Jovian satellites. Current approach allows for much greater precision and requires building a network of photometric telescopes, which can carry out continuous observations of selected binary systems.
With a global network of four robotic telescopes it is possible to search for extrasolar planets around binary stars, as well as characterize such stellar systems. Analysis of carefully planned photometric and spectroscopic observations of selected binary systems enables to determine basic stellar parameters, such as mass and radius, with unprecedented precision. In order to get accurate characteristic of binary systems components, apart from high-precision photometry, spectroscopic observations employing high-resolution spectrographs are required.
Spectroscopic Survey
In 2008 we started regular spectroscopic observations of detached eclipsing binary systems selected from the ASAS ACVS catalogue. This part of the work is currently led by dr Krzysztof Hełminiak. Initially with a limited access to the telescopes AAT (3.9-m) with UCLES spectrograph in Australia and Radcliffe (1.9-m) with the GIRAFFE spectrograph in South Africa, and since the end of 2010 much more intensively, mainly using the telescopes located in Chile: CTIO – 1.5m/CHIRON, MPG – 2.2m/FEROS, Euler – 1.2m/CORALIE, and ESO – 3.6m/HARPS. Additional observations are carried out in the northern hemisphere employing instruments located on the Canary Islands: TNG/HARPS-N (3.5 m) and NOT/FIES (2.2 m), France: OHP-1.9m/SOPHIE, and in Hawaii: Subaru/HDS (8.2 m). The program is called Comprehensive Research with Echelles on the Most interesting Eclipsing binaries (CREME). In 2014 we expanded the observing program on the northern hemisphere systems, beyond the ASAS targets, selected from other sources like Super-WASP, NSVS, and Kepler catalogues. These observations are conducted mainly using Japanese OAO-1.88m telescope spectrograph HIDES. We also started monitoring of selected targets in infrared using spectrograph IRCS on the Subaru telescope.
The number of observed objects reaches few hundreds, and collected spectra – thousands. We use every spectrum to calculate radial velocities required to determine the masses and other parameters of studied stars. Thanks to such approach we can determine what type of system we deal with and discover many interesting objects. In our sample one can find low mass and high mass stars, evolved giants, young objects before the main sequence, as well as multiple systems.
One can find the list of out publications below:
Orbital and physical parameters of eclipsing binaries from the ASAS catalogue – VII. V1200 Centauri: a bright triple in the Hyades moving group
BACHES – a compact échelle spectrograph for radial-velocity surveys with small telescopes
Software for autonomous astronomical observatories: challenges and opportunities in the age of big data
Orbital and physical parameters of eclipsing binaries from the ASAS catalogue – V. Investigation of subgiants and giants: the case of ASAS J010538-8003.7, ASAS J182510-2435.5 and V1980 Sgr
PUCHEROS: a cost-effective solution for high-resolution spectroscopy with small telescopes
Orbital and physical parameters of eclipsing binaries from the All-Sky Automated Survey catalogue – IV. A 0.61 + 0.45 Ms binary in a multiple system
Orbital and physical parameters of eclipsing binaries from the All-Sky Automated Survey catalogue. III. Two new low-mass systems with rapidly evolving spots
Absolute properties of the main-sequence eclipsing binary FM Leo
Orbital and physical parameters of eclipsing binaries from the ASAS catalogue – VIII. The totally eclipsing double-giant system HD187669
Orbital and physical parameters of eclipsing binaries from the All-Sky Automated Survey catalogue. VI. AK Fornacis: a rare, bright K-type eclipsing binary
Solaris: a global network of autonomous observatories in the southern hemisphere
Non-Keplerian effects in precision radial velocity measurements of double-line spectroscopic binary stars: numerical simulations
New high-precision orbital and physical parameters of the double-lined low-mass spectroscopic binary BY Draconis
Radio pulsar style timing of eclipsing binary stars from the All Sky Automated Survey catalogue
Orbital and physical parameters of eclipsing binaries from the All-Sky Automated Survey catalogue. II. Two spotted M < 1 Ms systems at different evolutionary stages
Orbital and physical parameters of eclipsing binaries from the All-Sky Automated Survey catalogue – I. A sample of systems with components’masses between 1 and 2 Ms