WOODEBCAT - Wood Interacting Binaries Catalog

Overview

This catalog, also called the Finding List (FL) of Interacting Binaries (5th edition), was abstracted from the Card Catalog maintained at the University of Florida which contains information on all published, and to the extent available, unpublished work on eclipsing binaries. The Card Catalog originated with Raymond Smith Dugan in the 1930's, who published from it the first edition of "A Finding List for Observers of Eclipsing Variables" (Dugan 1934, Princeton Univ. Obs. Contrib. No. 15). Successive editions of FL were subsequently published by Pierce (1947, Princeton Univ. Obs. Contrib. No. 22), by Wood (1953, Univ. Pennsylvania Astron. Series, Vol. VIII), by Koch et al. (1963, Univ. Pennsylvania Astron. Series, Vol. IX), and by Wood et al. (1980, Univ. Pennsylvania Astron. Series, Vol. XII). The FL was conceived as an aid to observers of eclipsing variables in selecting an observing program efficiently from the collection of all known data in an easy-to-use format. Although this format has changed over the years to meet existing requirements, the basic information content remains the same. The current edition differs from previous ones in the extension of the magnitude limit at minimum light from 13 to 15. In earlier editions, a binary system was not included unless the editors were reasonably certain that the system was indeed an eclipsing or (rarely) an ellipsoidal variable. The fifth edition includes all systems that the editors were fairly certain are either eclipsing or radiometrically variable binaries.

The catalog fields are Finding List number; star name; position (given in the original catalog in equinox 1900); blue magnitude at maximum light; bandpass of maximum light; depth of primary minimum in same bandpass; bandpass primary minimum; depth of secondary minimum and its bandpass; spectral class of star eclipsed at primary light and optional uncertainty character; spectral class of star eclipsed at secondary light; most recent reliable epoch of primary minimum; most recent orbital period; duration of primary minimum; duration of totality of primary minimum; BD, CoD, CPD, and HD number; alternate designations of system; and codes indicating the nature of the system.

Catalog Bibcode

References

Wood F.B., Oliver J.P., Florkowski, D.R., Koch R.H. 1980, A Finding List for Observers of Interacting Binary Stars, 5th Ed., Publ. Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Vol. I = Publ. Univ. Pennsylvania, Astronomical Series, Vol. XII.

Provenance

This database was created by the HEASARC in December 1997 based on a computer readable version of the catalog that was obtained from the CDS (their catalog VI/44): a few additions were made by the HEASARC that are listed in the HEASARC_Changes section of the present document.

HEASARC Changes

12 of the 3564 entries in the original catalog as received from CDS had no positional information. We have searched the SIMBAD database and found positions for 5 of these 12 systems. The remaining 7 systems have been placed at 0 RA and 0 Dec (1900 co-ordinates). We list below the Finding List Number (the parameter Wood_Num in the HEASARC database) and the 1900 positions (Position_1900 in the HEASARC database) that we assigned (if any) for these 12 systems:

      New Positions                          No Positions

Wood_Num       Position_1900                 Wood_Num

3556           0503-68                       3550
3558           0518-68                       3551
3560           0527-67                       3555
3561           0540-69                       3557
3564           0443-70                       3559
                                             3562
                                             3563

Parameters

Wood_Num
Finding List Number: numbers are assigned in catalog order, i.e., in order of increasing right ascension at the equinox of 1900.0

Name
The common name for the binary system. When available, the Bayer or Flamsteed designation may be used; in this case, the variable star designation will be entered in the Alt_Names parameter. Three-character abbreviations for Greek letters are used where appropriate. When no other specific identification is available, the Name is defaulted to the three-character constellation name of the part of the sky in which the system is situated: thus, for example, if in the constellation of Doradus, the Name would be set to "DOR". Thus, the Name is not, in general, a unique identifier in this database and the parameter Wood_Num (the Finding List number) should be used for this purpose.

RA
The right ascension in the default equinox: notice that this is given only to the nearest minute in time in the original version of this catalog (see the parameter Position_1900 for an exact transcription of the co-ordinates in the 1900 equinox used in the original version).

Dec
The declination in the default equinox: notice that this is given only to the nearest degree in the original version of this catalog (see the parameter Position_1900 for an exact transcription of the co-ordinates in the 1900 equinox used in the original version).

Position_1900
An exact transcription of the sky co-ordinates in the 1900 equinox used in the original version; e.g., `1909-55' means 1900 RA of 19 hrs 09 mins, 1900 Dec of -55 degrees.

LII
Galactic longitude of the binary system.

BII
Galactic latitude of the binary system.

Max_Mag
Usually this is the blue magnitude at maximum light, except if the parameter Max_Mag_flag (q.v.) contains a letter code, in which case it is the magnitude at maximum light in the designated band.

Max_Mag_Flag
A flag indicating either the bandpass for the maximum magnitude or the existence of a note in the remarks file about this parameter. If a blue magnitude is not available at maximum light, a letter code indicates other bandpasses (e.g., U for ultraviolet, V for visual, R for red, blank for blue etc.). A colon (:) indicates an uncertainty in the band-pass. An "N" value indicates the existence of a relevant note in the remarks file. This file is not part of the current database but is available at http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/heasarc/dbase/misc_files/woodebcat/remarks.dat

Prim_Min_Depth
Depth of primary minimum in the same bandpass as the magnitude at maximum light (Max_Mag).

Prim_Min_Depth_Flag
A flag indicating either the bandpass for the primary minimum or the existence of a note in the remarks file about this parameter. If a blue magnitude is not available at primary minimum, a letter code indicates other bandpasses (e.g., U for ultraviolet, V for visual, R for red, blank for blue etc.). A colon (:) indicates an uncertainty in the band-pass. An "N" value indicates the existence of a relevant note in the remarks file. This file is not part of the current database but is available at http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/heasarc/dbase/misc_files/woodebcat/remarks.dat

Sec_Min_Depth
Depth of secondary minimum light in the same bandpass as the magnitude at maximum light (Max_Mag).

Sec_Min_Depth_Flag
A flag indicating either the bandpass for the secondary minimum or the existence of a note in the remarks file about this parameter. If a blue magnitude is not available at secondary minimum, a letter code indicates other bandpasses (e.g., U for ultraviolet, V for visual, R for red, blank for blue etc.). A colon (:) indicates an uncertainty in the band-pass. An "N" value indicates the existence of a relevant note in the remarks file. This file is not part of the current database but is available at http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/heasarc/dbase/misc_files/woodebcat/remarks.dat

Prim_Spect_Type
Spectral class of the star eclipsed at primary minimum light. A colon (:) and a question mark (?) following the spectral type indicate uncertain and very uncertain types, respectively.

Prim_Spect_Type_Flag
An "N" designates a note about the primary spectral class in the remarks file. This file is not part of the current database but is available as the file remarks.dat at http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/heasarc/dbase/misc_files/woodebcat/remarks.dat

Sec_Spect_Type
Spectral class of the star eclipsed at secondary minimum light. A colon (:) and a question mark (?) following the spectral type indicate uncertain and very uncertain types, respectively.

Sec_Spect_Type_Flag
An "N" designates a note about the secondary spectral class in the remarks file. This file is not part of the current database but is available at http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/heasarc/dbase/misc_files/woodebcat/remarks.dat

Prim_Min_Epoch
The most recent reliable epoch of primary minimum in units of Julian Day (JD). The literature reference is given as the first entry in the remarks file. This file is not part of the current database but is available at http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/heasarc/dbase/misc_files/woodebcat/remarks.dat The precision varies, with the degree of precision implied by the number of significant figures.

Prim_Min_Epoch_Flag
An "N" designates a note about the epoch of primary minimum in the remarks file. This file is not part of the current database but is available at http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/heasarc/dbase/misc_files/woodebcat/remarks.dat A colon (:) designates an uncertain epoch.

Orbital_Period
The most recent orbital period in days, unless the parameter Orbital_Period_Flag contains a "Y", in which case the units of the orbital period are years. The precision varies, with the degree of precision implied by the number of significant figures.

Orbital_Period_Flag
An "N" designates a note about the orbital period is in the remarks file. This file is not part of the current database but is available at http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/heasarc/dbase/misc_files/woodebcat/remarks.dat ; a "Y" indicates that the orbital period is given in years not days; a colon (:) designates an uncertain orbital period.

Prim_Min_Dur
The duration of the primary minimum in hours, unless otherwise specified; in days (if Prim_Min_Dur_Flag = "D"), or in years (if Prim_Min_Dur_Flag = "Y").

Prim_Min_Dur_Flag
A flag containing either the unit of the duration of the primary minimum, or an indication of uncertainty, or the existence of a relevant note in the remarks file. A "D" indicates that the unit is days, a "Y" that it is years. A colon (:) indicates that the duration is uncertain, while a question mark (?) indicates that it is very uncertain. An "N" designates that there is a note about the duration of the primary minimum in the remarks file. This file is not part of the current database but is available at http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/heasarc/dbase/misc_files/woodebcat/remarks.dat

Totality_Dur
The duration of the total eclipse phase (totality) of primary minimum in hours, unless otherwise specified; in days (if Totality_Dur_Flag = "D"), or in years (if Totality_Dur_Flag = "Y").

Totality_Dur_Flag
A flag containing either the unit of the duration of totality, or an indication of uncertainty, or the existence of a relevant note in the remarks file. A "D" indicates that the unit is days, a "Y" that it is years. A colon (:) indicates that the duration is uncertain, while a question mark (?) indicates that it is very uncertain. An "N" designates that there is a note about the duration of totality in the remarks file. This file is not part of the current database but is available at http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/heasarc/dbase/misc_files/woodebcat/remarks.dat

Bd
Bonner Durchmusterung (BD) designation.

Cd
Cordoba Durchmusterung (CD or CoD) designation.

Cpd
Cape Photographic Durchmusterung (CPD) designation.

HD
The Henry Draper Catalog (HD) or the Henry Draper Catalog Extension (HDE) number.

Alt_Names
Up to 4 alternate designations for the system: these may be catalog identifiers and numbers, variable star designations, etc.

Remarks
Up to 14 alphanumeric codes indicating the nature of the particular system. The complete list of 1-letter codes are as follows:

  Code     Meaning                      Code     Meaning

  A       variable period                B      variable period?
  C       light elements uncertain       D      eccentric orbit
  E       faint companion                F      third light
  G       times of minimum recorded by
       group such as AAVSO, BBSAG, etc.
  H       variable comparison star?      J      atmospheric eclipses
  K       asymmetric light curve         L      variable light curve
  M       light curve poorly known       N      asymmetric minima
  P       photometric analysis availab.  Q      hydrogen emission seen
  R       Ca II emission seen            S      radial velocity curve available
  T       variable rad. velocity curve   U      double-lined spectroscopic binary
  V       absolute dimension known       W      UV excess
  X       IR excess                      Y      polarization observed
  Z       variable polarization          1      X-ray source
  2       radio source                   3      visual binary
  4       cluster member                 5      intrinsic variable
  6       ellipsoidal variable           7      not eclipsing binary?
  8       apsidal motion

Class
The Browse classification based on the primary star's spectral type.

Contact Person

Questions regarding the WOODEBCAT database table can be addressed to the HEASARC Help Desk.

Page Author: Browse Software Development Team
Last Modified: Wednesday, 23-Nov-2022 19:38:04 EST