Modelling of eclipsing binaries with pulsating components

Miroslav Fedurco

In recent years, data from photometric surveys and space based telescopes provided us with data of unprecedented quality that are extremely valuable in research on low amplitude pulsations. Recent research shows that a large number of the pulsators are members of eclipsing binaries. Presence of eclipsing binary features in the light curve such as eclipses, reflection effect and ellipsoidal variation usually overwhelms the light curve variations caused by pulsations. Therefore, there is a need for comprehensive model of eclipsing binaries with pulsating components that will be able to help to disentangle the binary and pulsator contribution to the overall light curve and also it will enable to model a behavior of pulsation modes during partial eclipses of the pulsator. We decided to develop and implement such model in interpreted, high-level, general-purpose programming language Python in order to achieve easy usability and modularity.

Transit-timing variations of exoplanet Kepler-410 Ab

Pavol Gajdoš

This presentation is focused on the study of the resonance perturbation between exoplanets in the multi-planetary systems. The main used tools were numerical simulations and solving the n-bodies problem. I detailly studied the Kepler-410 system where the significant transit-timing variations were observed. Using the radial-velocity measurements from Slovak and Czech observatories, I rejected the hypothesis that these variations are caused by the presence of another stellar body in the system. Working with different numerical simulations, I found out the most probable generator of the observed variations. It is an additional planet with a mass of 1.5 mass of Mars orbiting near the resonance 2:3 with the known transiting planet Kepler-410 Ab. The confirmation of this planet is hardly possible at the present time.