Contact binaries in LAMOST DR7

Then we will focus on several groups of contact binary stars, i.e., marginal contact binary systems, deep and low-mass ratio contact binary stars, binary systems below the short-period limit of contact binaries and evolved contact binaries. Marginal contact binaries are at the beginning of the contact stage, while deep and low-mass ratio contact binary stars are at the final evolutionary stage of tidally locked binaries.

Several statistical relations including the period-temperature relation are determined well by applying LAMOST data and their formation and evolutionary states are reviewed. The period-color relation of M-type binaries reveals that there are contact binaries below the short-period limit. Searching for and investigating contact binaries near and below this limit will help us to understand the formation of contact binary systems and a new prediction for the short-period limit is about 0.15 d.

Some evolved contact binaries were detected by the LAMOST survey where both components are sub-giants or giants. They provide a good opportunity to investigate evolution of the common envelope and are the progenitors of luminous red novae like V1309 Sco.