Sixty Thousand Periodic Variables from the Catalina Surveys

We have performed an in-depth search for periodic variable stars within the photometry from the Catalina Surveys Data Releases. Our analysis reveals ~40,000 new periodic variable stars with brightness ranging from V=11 to 20, from a region covering ~20,000 square degrees on the sky. Each source is classified based on lightcurve morphology and multi-color photometry from WISE and SDSS. The variable stars discovered include eclipsing binaries, such as Algol, beta Lyrae, W UMa and WD+dM types, and pulsators including delta Scuti's, SX Phe, LPVs, RR Lyrae and Cepheids. We combine these sources with type-ab RR Lyrae from our prior analysis to produce a periodic variable catalog containing 60,000 stars. Using ~5,500 optical spectra from SDSS DR10 we determine the metallicities, surface gravities and radial velocities of the major types. The photometry, classifications and periods will all be made publicly available through the Catalina Surveys data release website....