Period Variation Study of the Neglected Algol Eclipsing Binary System V346 Cygnius

Abstract

Abstract:We present the first period variation study for the Algol eclipsing binary V346 Cyg by constructing the (O − C) residual diagram using all the available precise minima times. We conclude that the period variation can be explained by a sine-like variation due to the presence of a third body orbiting the binary in about 68.89 ± 4.69 years, together with a long-term orbital period decrease (dP/dt = −1.23 × 10 −7 day/yr) that can be interpreted to be due to slow mass loss from the δ-Scuti primary component. The sinusoidal variation may also be explained by using the the Applegate (1992) mechanism involving cyclic magnetic activity due to star-spots on the secondary component. The present preliminary solution needs more precise photometric observations to be confirmed.