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The MRT is a very suitable tool for astronomical observation of variable stars. These are stars that change their brightness over time. For their analysis, photometric measurements are used to obtain light curves, i.e., the dependence of brightness (stellar magnitude in units of magnitude) of the studied star, compared to another comparison star (V–C), over time, most often expressed in Julian dates, where a value of one corresponds to one ordinary day.
One reason a star system changes its brightness is the mutual geometric occultation of binary stars orbiting each other. In recent years, however, scientific attention has focused on the study of multiple star systems, where the theoretically most stable are 2+2 systems, i.e., two binary pairs, usually referred to as pair A and pair B. Each pair orbits internally as in simple binary systems, but both pairs also orbit a common center of mass with a long period. This is precisely why long-term photometric observations—most often by amateur astronomers—and the monitoring of small changes in the light curve are necessary, as they reveal the physical parameters of these unique stellar systems.
It is precisely these stellar systems that the MRT, in cooperation with Masaryk University, is focusing on, and its users have been observing candidates for 2+2 systems for an extended period. In the image below, you can see sample observed light curves from three nights taken with the MRT (upper graphs). These light curves are then compared with astrophysical models (lower graphs), which attempt to explain and describe the measured data. The blue and red dashed curves model pair A and pair B separately, while the solid black curve corresponds to the sum of these light curves and should therefore match the experimentally measured data.
The experimental accuracy of the MRT astronomical setup makes it possible to detect small asymmetries in the graphs, indicating that these are two occulting star pairs. As is clear from the individual measurements, these models correspond extremely well with the observed data. The results are (and will likely continue to be) scientifically significant and will most probably be used for publication in an impact journal.
