Surface Brightness Variation of the Contact Binary SW Lac: Clues From Doppler Imaging

Abstract

In this study, we present the preliminary light curve analysis of the contact binary SW Lac, using B, V light curves of the system spanning 2 years (2009 - 2010). During the spot modeling process, we used the information coming from the Doppler maps of the system, which was performed using the high resolution and phase dependent spectra obtained at the 2.1 m Otto Struve Telescope of the McDonald Observatory, in 2009. The results showed that the spot modeling from the light curve analysis are in accordance with the Doppler maps, while the non-circular spot modeling technique is needed in order to obtain much better and reliable spot models.Comment: This study was presented at the IAU Symposium 282, From Interacting Binaries to Exoplanets: Essential Modeling Tools Slovakia, July 18-22 2011. This manuscript will be published in IAUS 282 conference proceedings edited by Mercedes T. Richards & Ivan Hubeny (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), p.496 - 497, as ISBN 978110701982