Discovering Young Eclipsing Binary Systems with TESS

Current models describing how young, low-mass stars evolve before reaching the main sequence diverge from one another and are inconsistent with measured stellar properties. A larger sample of young, low-mass stars with well-determined properties is integral to constraining these models and making them more accurate. Since properties of eclipsing binary systems can be determined through observations alone – without assumptions based on models – they are useful in building such a sample. In this project, we searched TESS data for previously unstudied young, low-mass eclipsing binary systems. We created and examined light curves for 398 targets flagged as known young, low-mass spectroscopic binaries or radial velocity variables using cutouts of TESS full-frame images. From this initial search, we identified nine eclipsing binary candidates. We have begun the process of modeling these nine systems. The next steps for this project include taking additional ground-based observations of each target in our current sample and expanding our search for young, low-mass eclipsing binaries to greater numbers of targets.