Related papers: Detached eclipsing binaries as primary distance an…
We present the results of a spectroscopic campaign on eclipsing binaries with long orbital period (P = 20 - 75 d) carried out with the CHIRON spectrograph. Physical and orbital solutions for seven systems were derived from the V-band, and…
Recent theoretical calculations of stellar evolutionary tracks for rotating high-mass stars suggests that the chemical composition of the surface layers changes even whilst the star is evolving on the Main Sequence. The abundance analysis…
We describe an automated method for assigning the most probable physical parameters to the components of an eclipsing binary, using only its photometric light curve and combined colors. With traditional methods, one attempts to optimize a…
When an exoplanet passes behind its host star, we can measure the time of the occultation, its depth, and its color. In this chapter we describe how these observables can be used to deduce physical characteristics of the planet such as its…
We show that a small, but \textit{measurable} shift in the eclipse mid-point time of eclipsing binary (EBs) stars of $\sim$ 0.1 seconds over a decade baseline can be used to directly measure the Galactic acceleration of stars in the Milky…
Precise measurements of stellar parameters are required in order to develop our theoretical understanding of stellar structure. These measurements enable errors and uncertainties to be quantified in theoretical models and constrain the…
We have undertaken several projects with the purpose of determining accurate distances to nearby galaxies to calibrate the extragalactic distance scale. Specifically, I describe the DIRECT project which aims to derive the distance to M31…
We present a detailed analysis of the detached eclipsing binary system HO Telescopii, which contains two A-type stars in a circular orbit of period 1.613 d. We use light curves from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which…
Stellar binaries are ubiquitous in the galaxy and a laboratory for astrophysical effects. We use TESS to study photometric modulations in the lightcurves of 162 unequal mass eclipsing binaries from the EBLM (Eclipsing Binary Low Mass)…
Binarity plays a crucial role in star formation and evolution. Consequently, identifying binary stars is essential to deepen our understanding of these processes. We propose a method to investigate the observed radial velocity distribution…
Gravitational waves detected from well-localized inspiraling binaries would allow to determine, directly and independently, both binary luminosity and redshift. In this case, such systems could behave as "standard candles" providing an…
We are carrying out a search for planets around a sample of solar twin stars using the HARPS spectrograph. The goal of this project is to exploit the advantage offered by solar twins to obtain chemical abundances of unmatched precision.…
Low-mass stars in eclipsing binary systems show radii larger and effective temperatures lower than theoretical stellar models predict for isolated stars with the same masses. Eclipsing binaries with low-mass components are hard to find due…
Binarity is often invoked to explain peculiarities that can not be explained by the standard theory of stellar evolution. Detecting orbital motion via the Doppler effect is the best method to test binarity when direct imaging is not…
We present an analysis of BS Dra, a detached eclipsing binary containing two almost-identical F3 V stars in a 3.36-d circular orbit, based on 40 sectors of observations from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and published…
Planets orbiting binary systems are relatively unexplored compared to those around single stars. Detections of circumbinary planets and planetary systems offer a first detailed view into our understanding of circumbinary planet formation…
Globular clusters are among the first objects used to establish the distance scale of the Universe. In the 1970-ies it has been recognized that the differential magnitude distribution of old globular clusters is very similar in different…
We present results of the combined photometric and spectroscopic analysis of three detached eclipsing binaries, which secondary components are not visible or very hard to identify in the optical spectra - ASAS J052743-0359.7, ASAS…
The achievable level of precision on photospheric abundances of stars is a major limiting factor on investigations of exoplanet host star characteristics, the chemical histories of star clusters, and the evolution of the Milky Way and other…
We present the first evidence for the binarity of four targets in the TESS field. The temperatures are estimated by SED analysis and the orbital periods are determined. The TESS light curves of the systems are analysed and the orbital and…