A search of periodic variable stars in the LMC by JWST photometry

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Wang, Jiyu, Chen, Xiaodian, Zhang, Jianxing, Yan, Ziming, Wang, Shu, Deng, Licai
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Wang, Jiyu
Chen, Xiaodian
Zhang, Jianxing
Yan, Ziming
Wang, Shu
Deng, Licai
author_facet Wang, Jiyu
Chen, Xiaodian
Zhang, Jianxing
Yan, Ziming
Wang, Shu
Deng, Licai
contents Based on high-resolution near-infrared photometric data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) targeting the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), this study attempts to evaluate the feasibility and sensitivity limits of variable star detection in crowded stellar fields. Through light curve analysis, we identified a total of 304 periodic variable stars, including 71 EW-type eclipsing binaries, 7 EA-type eclipsing binaries, 177 rotational variables, 38 $δ$ Scuti (DSCT) stars, and 12 RR Lyrae stars. Period--luminosity relations (PLRs) were derived for EW-type eclipsing binaries, DSCT stars, and RR Lyrae stars. The PLRs for EW-type and RR Lyrae stars are in good agreement with previous studies, while the PLR zero point for DSCT stars appears systematically fainter by approximately 0.15--0.30 mag. Our PLRs exhibit low dispersion and are minimally affected by crowding. We analyzed the capability of JWST archival data to detect low-amplitude variables and found that only stars with amplitudes greater than approximately 0.05 mag can be reliably detected. Through simulations, we quantified how increasing the number of photometric epochs improves the detectability of low-amplitude, low signal-to-noise ratio variables. Despite current limitations in observational cadence, JWST demonstrates unique advantages in detecting short-period eclipsing binaries, rotational variables, and high-amplitude pulsators. Its exceptional spatial resolution enables high-precision PLR calibrations, offering new opportunities for future studies in variable star astrophysics and extragalactic distance measurements.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_21971
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A search of periodic variable stars in the LMC by JWST photometry
Wang, Jiyu
Chen, Xiaodian
Zhang, Jianxing
Yan, Ziming
Wang, Shu
Deng, Licai
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Based on high-resolution near-infrared photometric data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) targeting the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), this study attempts to evaluate the feasibility and sensitivity limits of variable star detection in crowded stellar fields. Through light curve analysis, we identified a total of 304 periodic variable stars, including 71 EW-type eclipsing binaries, 7 EA-type eclipsing binaries, 177 rotational variables, 38 $δ$ Scuti (DSCT) stars, and 12 RR Lyrae stars. Period--luminosity relations (PLRs) were derived for EW-type eclipsing binaries, DSCT stars, and RR Lyrae stars. The PLRs for EW-type and RR Lyrae stars are in good agreement with previous studies, while the PLR zero point for DSCT stars appears systematically fainter by approximately 0.15--0.30 mag. Our PLRs exhibit low dispersion and are minimally affected by crowding. We analyzed the capability of JWST archival data to detect low-amplitude variables and found that only stars with amplitudes greater than approximately 0.05 mag can be reliably detected. Through simulations, we quantified how increasing the number of photometric epochs improves the detectability of low-amplitude, low signal-to-noise ratio variables. Despite current limitations in observational cadence, JWST demonstrates unique advantages in detecting short-period eclipsing binaries, rotational variables, and high-amplitude pulsators. Its exceptional spatial resolution enables high-precision PLR calibrations, offering new opportunities for future studies in variable star astrophysics and extragalactic distance measurements.
title A search of periodic variable stars in the LMC by JWST photometry
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.21971