We report an analysis of two poorly studied eclipsing binary stars, GSC 04396-00605 and GSC 04395-00485 (recently named V455 Dra and V454 Dra, respectively). Photometric data of the two stars were obtained using the 1-m Korean telescope of the LOAO operated by KASI while monitoring the cataclysmic variable DO Dra in the frame of the Inter-Longitude Astronomy (ILA) project. We derived periods of 0.434914 and 0.376833 days as well as initial epochs JD 2456480.04281 and JD 2456479.0523, respectively, more accurate than previously published values by factors 9 and 6. The phenomenological characteristics of the mean light curves were determined using the New Algol Variable (NAV) algorithm. The individual times of maxima/minima (ToM) were determined using the newly developed software MAVKA, which outputs accurate parameters using "asymptotic parabola" approximations. The light curves were approximated using phenomenological and physical models. In the NAV algorithm, the phenomenological parameters are well determined. We derived physical parameters using the Wilson-Devinney model. In this model, the best-fit parameters are highly correlated, thus some of them were fixed to reasonable values. For both systems, we find evidence for the presence of a cool spot and estimate its parameters. Both systems can be classified as overcontact binaries of EW type.

Recent discovery of 2M⊙ neutron stars in white dwarf-neutron star binaries, PSR J1614-2230 and PSR J0348+0432, has given strong constraints on the maximum mass of neutron stars. On the other hand, all well-measured neutron star masses in double neutron star binaries are still less than 1.5M⊙. These observations suggest that the neutron star masses in binaries may depend on the evolution process of neutron star binaries. In addition, recent works on LMXB (low-mass X-ray binaries) provides us the possibility of estimating the masses and radii of accreting neutron stars in LMXBs. In this talk, we discuss the implications of recent neutron star observations to the neutron star equation of states and the related astrophysical problems. For the evolution of neutron star binaries, we also discuss the possibilities of super-Eddington accretion onto the primary neutron stars.

In this work, we study the correlation between the photon index (Γ) of the X-ray spectrum and the 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity (LX) for black hole X-ray binaries (BHBs). The BHB sample is mainly from the quiescent, hard and intermediate states, with values of LX ranging from ~ 1030.5 to 1037.5 erg s-1. We nd that the photon index Γ is positively or negatively correlated with the X-ray luminosity LX, for LX above or below a critical value, ~ 1036.5 erg s-1. This result is consistent with previous works. Moreover, when LX ≤ ~ 1033 erg s-1, we found that the photon index is roughly independent of the X-ray luminosity. We interpret the above correlations in the framework of a coupled hot accretion flow - jet model. Besides, we also find that in the moderate-luminosity region, different sources may have different anti-correlation slopes, and we argue this diversity is caused by the different value of δ, which describes the fraction of turbulent dissipation that directly heats electrons.

Most of the stars in the Galaxy are in binary systems. Binaries should be possible as the hosting stars of planets. Searching for planetary companions to binaries, especially evolved close binary stars, can provide insight into the formation and the ultimate fate of circumbinary planets and shed light on the late evolution of binary stars. In order to do this, we have chosen some post common envelope binaries including sdB-type eclipsing binaries and detached WD+dM eclipsing binaries as our targets and monitored them for several years. In this paper, we will present some of our new observations and results for three targets, NSVS 07826147, NSVS14256825 and RR Cae.

Several contact binary systems in four stellar clusters or their fields are reported here; NGC7789-V12, EP Cep and ES Cep in NGC188, NGC104-V95 and V710 Mon. Their multiple light curves were analyzed by the 2010 version of the W-D code, and their physical parameters were obtained.

Due to the lack of an accretion disk in a polar (magnetic cataclysmic variable, MCV), the material transferred from the secondary is directly accreted onto the white dwarf, forming an accretion stream and a hot spot on the white-dwarf component. During the eclipses, different light components can be isolated. Therefore, the monitoring of eclipsing polars could provide valuable information on several modern astrophysical problems, e.g., CVs as planetary hosting stars, mass transfer and mass accretion in CVs, and the magnetic activity of the most rapidly rotating cool dwarfs. In the past five years, we have monitored about 10 eclipsing polars (e.g., DP Leo and HU Aqr) using several 2-m class telescopes and about 100 eclipse profiles were obtained. In this paper, we will introduce the progress of our research group at YNOs. The first direct evidence of variable mass transfer in a CV is obtained and we show that it is the dark-spot activity that causes the mass transfer in CVs. Magnetic activity cycles of the cool secondary were detected and we show that the variable mass transfer is not caused by magnetic activity cycles. These results will shed light on the structure and evolution of close binary stars (e.g., CVs and Algols).