We analyze new, high quality multicolor light curves of four overcontact binaries: AK Her, HI Dra, V1128 Tau and V2612 Oph, and determine their orbital and physical parameters using the modeling program of G. Djurasevic and recently published results
of radial velocity studies. The achieved precision in absolute masses is between 10 and 20%, and in absolute radii between 5 and 10%. All four systems are W UMa type binaries with bright or dark spots indicative of mass and energy transfer or surface activity. We estimate the distances and the ages of the systems using the luminosities computed through our analysis, and perform an O-C study for V1128 Tau, which reveals a complex period variation that can be interpreted in terms of mass loss/exchange and either the presence of the third body, or the magnetic activity on one of the components. We conclude that further observations of these systems are needed to deepen our understanding of their nature and variability.
Recent measurements showed that the period derivative of the high-B radio pulsar PSR J1734-3333 is increasing with time. For neutron stars evolving with fallback disks, this rotational behavior is expected in certain phases of the long-term evolution
. Using the same model as employed earlier to explain the evolution of anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft gamma-ray repeaters, we show that the period, the first and second period derivatives and the X-ray luminosity of this source can simultaneously acquire the observed values for a neutron star evolving with a fallback disk. We find that the required strength of the dipole field that can produce the source properties is in the range of 10^{12} - 10^{13} G on the pole of the neutron star. When the model source reaches the current state properties of PSR J1734-3333, accretion onto the star has not started yet, allowing the source to operate as a regular radio pulsar. Our results imply that PSR J1734-3333 is at an age of ~ 3 x 10^4 - 2 x 10^5 years. Such sources will have properties like the X-ray dim isolated neutron stars or transient AXPs at a later epoch of weak accretion from the diminished fallback disk.
