Using SuperWASP to find binary CSPN

David Jones, ESO

Central star binarity has long been believed to play an important role in the evolution of planetary nebulae, particularly those with 
aspherical morphologies. However, their true effect cannot be ascertained until a statistically significant number of binary central 
stars have been discovered. Survey telescopes offer an excellent opportunity to find as yet undiscovered binary central stars 
through long period photometric monitoring. One such survey, the SuperWASP project, offers unrivalled coverage of the sky on 
long time baselines. Here, we present the preliminary findings of a photometric search for central star binarity in the 
SuperWASP archive, confirming the suitability of the instrumentation by determining a 6.4 day photometric period for the 
previously unconstrained spectroscopic binary system at the heart of LoTr 1. Follow-up, time-series spectroscopy is planned 
for LoTr 1 as well as the other newly discovered SuperWASP binaries, in order to fully model the parameters of each system.