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Relativistic apsidal motion in eccentric eclipsing binaries

Publication at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics |
2010

Abstract

The study of apsidal motion in detached eclipsing binary systems is known to be an important source of information about stellar internal structure as well as the possibility of verifying of General Relativity outside the Solar System. As part of the long-term observational projects, we aim to measure precise times of minima for eccentric eclipsing binaries.

About seventy new times of minimum light recorded with photoelectric or CCD photometers were obtained for ten eccentric-orbit eclipsing binaries. Their O-C diagrams were analysed using all reliable timings found in the literature, and new or improved elements of apsidal motion were obtained.

The relativistic effects are dominant, representing up to 100% of the total observable apsidal-motion rate in several systems. The theoretical and observed values of the internal structure constant were compared for systems with lower relativistic contribution.