Light Curve Analysis of Contact Binary Stars – Amateurs Doing Real Science

This workshop is essentially a hands-on class designed to instruct the participant on how to obtain photometric data of contact binary stars and then analyse the data to a level suitable for publication in a peer reviewed journal. The participants will learn where to find raw photometric data, where to find much needed basic non-photometric data, and reduce data to a format suitable for analysis. The participants will than tackle the Wilson-Devinney computer code used in the analysis of the data. Detailed instructions on its use (along with its limitations) will be provided. The participants will use data from already analysed stars to determine the mass ratio and other parameters using the widely accepted grid-search method. Once the participants are confident with reducing the data to a suitable format and than analysing it we hope to tackle 4 or 5 previously unanalysed stars. It is hoped that the participants will become proficient enough to analyse the unstudied stars to a level suitable for publication and the convener will assist in the preparation* of a manuscript for submission to a peer reviewed journal.

* It is anticipated that most of the analysis will be completed during the workshop. However it is likely that manuscript preparation will occur later with regular e-mail contact between the participants.