A critical review of period analyses and implications for mass exchange in W UMa eclipsing binaries: Paper 3

Abstract

This is the third of a series of four papers, the goal of which is to identify the overcontact eclipsing binary star systems for which a solid case can be made for mass exchange. To reach this goal, it is necessary first to identify those systems for which there is a strong case for period change. We have identified 60 candidate systems; in the first two papers (Nelson et al., 2014, Nelson et al., 2016) we discussed 40 individual cases; this paper continues with the last 20. For each system, we present a detailed discussion and evaluation concerning the observational and interpretive material presented in the literature. At least one eclipse timing (ET) diagram, commonly referred to as an “O–C diagram”, that includes the latest available data, accompanies each discussion. In paper 4, we will discuss the mechanisms that can cause period change and which of the 60 systems can be reliably concluded to exhibit mass exchange; we will also provide a list of marginal and rejected cases – suitable for future work.