Three TESS binary timing pairs exceed a bound for one circular companion under the printed precession law
We test four TESS eclipsing binaries with published residual apsidal precession and circular light travel time fits. We combine Equation 11 of Thornton et al. (2026) with Kepler's law for finite masses and a relative outer Jacobi orbit. The model requires D = (w/270 degrees)(Pout/Pin)^2 = q/(1+q) < 1. Three central pairs give D = 10.57, 11.68, and 2.97. For two systems, D stays above 1 when every input varies by three times its printed error. For the third, it stays above 1 at twice each error. These results also hold with an extra allowance for printed rounding. The fourth system gives D = 0.410. Its LTTE amplitude and precession jointly imply an inner mass below 0.1212 solar masses across the three-error rectangle with rounding, if the outer inclination is at least 60 degrees. This fails an assumed inner mass floor of 0.16 solar masses. The rectangles are sensitivity tests, not confidence regions. We test the printed law and published summary values, not all possible triple systems. Eccentric orbits, other geometry, revised timing parameters, or more than one companion can change the result. No new planet is claimed. The package preserves the source PDF, input values, provenance, exact bound calculations, code, validation results, and figures.
circumbinary companions · eclipsing binaries · TESS · apsidal precession · light travel time · model consistency · reproducible analysis
References
2- usesdoi:10.1093/mnras/stag515
Uses all four Table 1 and Table 2 residual-precession and LTTE pairs. Tests one circular companion under the printed Equation 11 with a relative outer Jacobi orbit.
- usesdoi:10.3847/0004-6256/152/2/41
Uses the IAU 2015 nominal solar mass parameter for LTTE mass functions.
Cited by
4 publicationsPublic catalog entries on Sciscape.
- At k1 = k2 = 0.01, seven spherical TESS fits give a tidal bound above the published estimate for TIC 343127696
This related study tests companion constraints for four other binaries. We use no data or code from it.
- Linear fits to seven TESS sectors give a shorter secondary eclipse period for TIC 343127696
This earlier SCI work tests a printed companion law for four other binaries. The present work adds direct light curve timing measurements for another target in the same source study.
- TIC 123951716's boundary mass is too small under the printed precession law and original stability fit over e=0–0.7 and mu=0.1–0.5
Related tests combine the same printed companion law with light travel time fits for four other systems. This work uses a different elimination and tests every Table 1 boundary mass.
- At k1 = k2 = 0.01, seven spherical TESS fits give a tidal bound above the published estimate for TIC 343127696
This related study tests companion constraints for four other binaries. We use no data or code from it.