Photometric study and absolute parameters of the short-period eclipsing binary HH Bootis

•We present the analysis of spectroscopic and new photometric observations of HH Boo.•The period changes in the observed −− calculated (O −− C) diagram were analyzed.•The “Half-Period” variation is defined and analyzed.•The orbital and physical parameters of the system were derived.•Our model describes HH Bootis as a W-type overcontact binary in contrast to previous workers.

We present the results of our investigation on the geometrical and physical parameters of the W UMa type binary system HH Bootis from new CCD (BVRI  ) light curves and published radial velocity data. The photometric data were obtained in 2011 and 2012 at Ankara University Observatory (AUO). Light and radial velocity observations were analyzed simultaneously using the Wilson–Devinney (2013 revision) code to obtain absolute and geometrical parameters. The system was determined to be a W-type W UMa system of a type different from that suggested by Dal and Sipahi (2013). An interesting cyclic period variation in the time intervals between primary and secondary eclipses (“half-period variation”) was discovered and analyzed and its possible cause is discussed. Combining our photometric solution with the spectroscopic data we derived masses and radii of the eclipsing system to be M1=0.627M⊙,M1=0.627M⊙,M2=1.068M⊙,M2=1.068M⊙,R1=0.782R⊙R1=0.782R⊙ and R2=0.997R⊙R2=0.997R⊙. New light elements were derived and finally the evolutionary status of the system is discussed.