Target Algol stars database now online

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Wed, 02/25/2015 - 12:54

Ok... you can now look at the EA stars to search for possible UXOR activity. Just go to the YSO section website:

http://www.starman.co.uk/ysosection and use the 'UXOR hunt campaign' link in the LH panel. You can search by constellation or look at the complete list, then use VSP to produce a chart. Keep me informed, with criticisms or laudamus te's!

 

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Target list

Hi Mike,

I took a look at the list and I was surprised to see most of the UXOR candidates had periods.
If they are eclipsing binaries with already determined periods, why are they still in the list?

Also checking theur B-V vs J-K colors should be a good discriminator when a candidate is found.

I think the most promising ones are those without periods.
However, the fact that they don't have periods published doesn't mean they are not eclipsers. I will take a look at those and check survey data to see if periods can be found.

Also remember to periodically check VSX for updates because several of those I-type stars are being revised and there may be new UXORs there or some of the potential candidates may have already been reclassified as other thing (several red variables were hidden there for instance).

Cheers,
Sebastian

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Currently I have made no

Currently I have made no changes to the 'base' database so that everyone can see what is in there. Even with those objects that have quoted periods, the source of those periods could be sketchy (though to be honest I doubt it). Colour information is not always reliable, and especially not in the case of UXORs, which notably change colour at certain points in variation. In fact a previous incarnation of this database that used this very method failed to turn up a star that has since been shown to be an UXOR! (FX Vel)

I suspect that among this 300-odd sample there will be no more than literally a handful of YSO's - but even one new discovery is a milestone.