Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The V471 Tauri System: A Multi-Data-Type Probe, Todd R. Vaccaro, Robert E. Wilson, W. Van Hamme, Dirk Terrell

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

V471 Tauri, a white dwarf–red dwarf eclipsing binary ( EB) in the Hyades, is well known for stimulating development of common envelope theory, whereby novae and other cataclysmic variables form from much wider binaries by catastrophic orbit shrinkage. Our evaluation of a recent imaging search that reported negative results for a much postulated third body shows that the object could have escaped detection or may have actually been seen. The balance of evidence continues to favor a brown dwarf companion about 12 AU from the EB. A recently developed algorithm finds unified solutions from three data types. New radial velocities …