{it Kepler} satellite photometry and phase-resolved spectroscopy of the ultracompact AM CVn type binary SDSS J190817.07+394036.4 are presented. The average spectra reveal a variety of weak metal lines of different species, including silicon, sulphur
and magnesium as well as many lines of nitrogen, beside the strong absorption lines of neutral helium. The phase-folded spectra and the Doppler tomograms reveal an S-wave in emission in the core of the He I 4471 AA,absorption line at a period of $P_{rm orb}=1085.7pm2.8$,sec identifying this as the orbital period of the system. The Si II, Mg II and the core of some He I lines show an S-wave in absorption with a phase offset of $170pm15^circ$ compared to the S-wave in emission. The N II, Si III and some helium lines do not show any phase variability at all. The spectroscopic orbital period is in excellent agreement with a period at $P_{rm orb}=1085.108(9)$,sec detected in the three year {it Kepler} lightcurve. A Fourier analysis of the Q6 to Q17 short cadence data obtained by {it Kepler} revealed a large number of frequencies above the noise level where the majority shows a large variability in frequency and amplitude. In an O-C analysis we measured a $vertdot{P}vertsim1.0,$x$,10^{-8},$s,s$^{-1}$ for some of the strongest variations and set a limit for the orbital period to be $vertdot{P}vert<10^{-10}$s,s$^{-1}$. The shape of the phase folded lightcurve on the orbital period indicates the motion of the bright spot. Models of the system were constructed to see whether the phases of the radial velocity curves and the lightcurve variation can be combined to a coherent picture. However, from the measured phases neither the absorption nor the emission can be explained to originate in the bright spot.
The project Massive Unseen Companions to Hot Faint Underluminous Stars from SDSS (MUCHFUSS) aims to find sdBs with compact companions like massive white dwarfs, neutron stars or black holes. Here we provide classifications, atmospheric parameters and
a complete radial velocity (RV) catalogue containing 1914 single measurements for an sample of 177 hot subluminous stars discovered based on SDSS DR7. 110 stars show significant RV variability, while 67 qualify as candidates. We constrain the fraction of close massive compact companions {of hydrogen-rich hot subdwarfs} in our sample to be smaller than $sim1.3%$, which is already close to the theoretical predictions. However, the sample might still contain such binaries with longer periods exceeding $sim8,{rm d}$. We detect a mismatch between the $Delta RV_{rm max}$-distribution of the sdB and the more evolved sdOB and sdO stars, which challenges our understanding of their evolutionary connection. Furthermore, irregular RV variations of unknown origin with amplitudes of up to $sim180,{rm km,s^{-1}}$ on timescales of years, days and even hours have been detected in some He-sdO stars. They might be connected to irregular photometric variations in some cases.
Hot subdwarfs (sdBs) are core helium-burning stars, which lost almost their entire hydrogen envelope in the red-giant phase. Since a high fraction of those stars are in close binary systems, common envelope ejection is an important formation channel.
We identified a total population of 51 close sdB+WD binaries based on time-resolved spectroscopy and multi-band photometry, derive the WD mass distribution and constrain the future evolution of these systems. Most WDs in those binaries have masses significantly below the average mass of single WDs and a high fraction of them might therefore have helium cores. We found 12 systems that will merge in less than a Hubble time and evolve to become either massive C/O WDs, AM,CVn systems, RCrB stars or even explode as supernovae type Ia.
The project Massive Unseen Companions to Hot Faint Underluminous Stars from SDSS (MUCHFUSS) aims at finding hot subdwarf stars with massive compact companions like massive white dwarfs (M>1.0 M$_odot$), neutron stars, or stellar-mass black holes. We
present orbital and atmospheric parameters and put constraints on the nature of the companions of 12 close hot subdwarf B star (sdB) binaries found in the course of the MUCHFUSS project. The systems show periods between 0.14 and 7.4 days. Three systems most likely have white dwarf companions. SDSS J083006.17+475150.3 is likely to be a rare example of a low-mass helium-core white dwarf. SDSS J095101.28+034757.0 shows an excess in the infrared that probably originates from a third companion in a wide orbit. SDSS J113241.58-063652.8 is the first helium deficient sdO star with a confirmed close companion. This study brings to 142 the number of sdB binaries with orbital periods of less than 30 days and with measured mass functions. We present an analysis of the minimum companion mass distribution and show that it is bimodal. One peak around 0.1 M$_odot$ corresponds to the low-mass main sequence and substellar companions. The other peak around 0.4 M$_odot$ corresponds to the white dwarf companions. The derived masses for the white dwarf companions are significantly lower than the average mass for single carbon-oxygen white dwarfs. In a T$_{rm eff}$-log(g) diagram of sdB+dM companions, we find signs that the sdB components are more massive than the rest of the sample. The full sample was compared to the known population of extremely low-mass white dwarf binaries as well as short-period white dwarfs with main sequence companions. Both samples show a significantly different companion mass distribution. We calculate merger timescales and timescales when the companion will fill its Roche Lobe and the system evolves into a cataclysmic variable.
We started a new project which aims to find compact hot subdwarf binaries at low Galactic latitudes. Targets are selected from several photometric surveys and a spectroscopic follow-up campaign to find radial velocity variations on timescales as shor
t as tens of minutes has been started. Once radial variations are detected phase-resolved spectroscopy is obtained to measure the radial velocity curve and the mass function of the system. The observing strategy is described and the discovery of two short period hot subdwarf binaries is presented. UVEXJ032855.25+503529.8 contains a hot subdwarf B star (sdB) orbited by a cool M-dwarf in a P=0.11017 days orbit. The lightcurve shows a strong reflection effect but no eclipses are visible. HS 1741+2133 is a short period (P=0.20 days) sdB most likely with a white dwarf (WD) companion.
Phase-resolved spectroscopy of four AM CVn systems obtained with the William Herschel Telescope and the Gran Telescopio de Canarias (GTC) is presented. SDSS,J120841.96+355025.2 was found to have an orbital period of 52.96$pm$0.40,min and shows the pr
esence of a second bright spot in the accretion disc. The average spectrum contains strong Mg,{sc i} and Si,{sc i/ii} absorption lines most likely originating in the atmosphere of the accreting white dwarf. SDSS,J012940.05+384210.4 has an orbital period of 37.555$pm$0.003 min. The average spectrum shows the Stark broadened absorption lines of the DB white dwarf accretor. The orbital period is close to the previously reported superhump period of 37.9,min. Combined, this results in a period excess $epsilon$=0.0092$pm$0.0054 and a mass ratio $q=0.031pm$0.018. SDSS,J164228.06+193410.0 displays an orbital period of 54.20$pm$1.60,min with an alias at 56.35,min. The average spectrum also shows strong Mg,{sc i} absorption lines, similar to SDSS,J120841.96+355025.2. SDSS,J152509.57+360054.50 displays an period of 44.32$pm$0.18,min. The overall shape of the average spectrum is more indicative of shorter period systems in the 20-35 minute range. The accretor is still clearly visible in the pressure broadened absorption lines most likely indicating a hot donor star and/or a high mass accretor. Flux ratios for several helium lines were extracted from the Doppler tomograms for the disc and bright spot region, and compared with single-slab LTE models with variable electron densities and path lengths to estimate the disc and bright spot temperature. A good agreement between data and the model in three out of four systems was found for the disc region. All three systems show similar disc temperatures of $sim$10,500 K. In contrast, only weak agreement between observation and models was found for the bright spot region.
