Reliability of Photometric Error Estimates for Variable Binary Stars

Determine how reliable the observational error estimates are for photometric measurements of ZTF J032906.36+070408.3 and ATO J090.7238+00.5996, given that their intrinsic variability depends on the phases at which the measurements were obtained.

Background

The paper fits spectral energy distributions using photometry from multiple surveys, but the two post-common-envelope binaries exhibit substantial intrinsic variability, including changing light-curve shapes, amplitudes, eclipse depths, and mean brightness levels. Consequently, catalogued photometric uncertainties may not capture the additional variation caused by observing the systems at different orbital phases.

The reliability of these observational errors affects the residuals and goodness-of-fit assessments of the SED models. The authors explicitly identify uncertainty about whether the published error estimates are dependable for these variable systems, leaving their appropriate treatment unresolved.