QZ Serpentis

QZ Serpentis

Artistic Representation of QZ Serpentis system
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Serpens
Right ascension 15h 56m 54.4738s[1]
Declination +21° 07′ 19.083″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 11.8 - 17.7[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type DA + K4Ve[3][1]
U−B color index −0.32[4]
B−V color index +0.72[4]
Variable type U Gem[5]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−48.0±6.0 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +5.215[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −9.865[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)3.1106±0.0742 mas
Distance1,050 ± 30 ly
(321 ± 8 pc)
Orbit
PrimaryQZ Ser A
NameQZ Ser B
Period (P)119.752 min[4]
Semi-major axis (a)0.974 R
Eccentricity (e)0 (fixed)
Inclination (i)32[4][5]°
Semi-amplitude (K2)
(secondary)
207.5[4] km/s
Details
A
Mass0.75[4][5] M
Radius0.0107[4][5] R
B
Mass0.15[4][5] M
Radius0.1923[4][5] R
Other designations
QZ Ser, TIC 229556065, 2MASS J15565447+2107190, Gaia DR3 1204588041329337600[1]
Database references
SIMBADdata

QZ Serpentis (abbreviated QZ Ser) is a binary star system consisting of a orange dwarf and a white dwarf, located approximately 1050 light-years away from us in the constellation Serpens. It is considered a dwarf nova because the white dwarf draws the outer layers of hydrogen from the star.[4] The two stars orbit each other once every 119.752 minutes or 2 hours, and they may also be accompanied by a third substellar companion, whose mass is only about half that of Jupiter.[3][4] QZ Ser was discovered by Katsumi Haseda in 1998.[4]

Planetary system

In 2022, Carlos E. Chavez et al. decided to test the third-body hypothesis in cataclysmic variables using very long photometric periods, and based their study on four systems. During their research, they found additional evidence supporting this hypothesis in three systems, including QZ Serpentis.[5] The candidate planet is in a circular orbit with a mass of 0.63 MJ and a semi-major axis of 0.019 AU. The mass and semi-major estimates assume that the planetary orbit is in the plane of the binary star orbit.[3]

The QZ Serpentis planetary system[5]
Companion
(in order from star)
Mass Semimajor axis
(AU)
Orbital period
(days)
Eccentricity Inclination Radius
b 0.63 MJ 0.019 1.04 0 ≈32°

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "SIMBAD Results for QZ Serpentis". SIMBAD. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  2. ^ "QZ Ser". International Variable Star Index. AAVSO. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  3. ^ a b c "Planet QZ Ser b". exoplanet.eu.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Thorstensen., J. R.; Fenton, W. H.; Patterson, J. O.; Kemp, J.; Halpern, J.; Baraffe, I. (25 Jun 2002). "QZ Serpentis: A Dwarf Nova with a 2-Hour Orbital Period and an Anomalously Hot, Bright Secondary Star". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 114 (800): 1117–1123. arXiv:astro-ph/0206435. Bibcode:2002PASP..114.1117T. doi:10.1086/342513.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Chavez, Carlos E.; Georgakarakos, Nikolaos; Aviles, Andres; Aceves, Hector; Tovmassian, Gagik; Zharikov, Sergey; Perez-Leon, J. E.; Tamayo, Francisco (August 2022). "Testing the third-body hypothesis in the cataclysmic variables LU Camelopardalis, QZ Serpentis, V1007 Herculis and BK Lyncis". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 514 (3): 4629–4638. arXiv:2209.04065. Bibcode:2022MNRAS.514.4629C. doi:10.1093/mnras/stac1112. ISSN 0035-8711.