A deep catalog of variable stars in A 0.66 deg² lupus field

We have conducted a wide-field photometric survey in a single 52′ × 52′ field towards the Lupus Galactic Plane in an effort to detect transiting Hot Jupiter planets. The data set also led to the detection of 494 field variables, all of which are new discoveries. This paper presents an overview of the project, along with the total catalog of variables, which comprises 190 eclipsing binaries (of contact, semi-contact, and detached configurations), 51 miscellaneous pulsators of various types, 237 long-period variables (P ≥ 2 d), 11 δ Scuti stars, 4 field RR Lyrae (3 disk and 1 halo) and 1 irregular variable. Our survey provides a complete catalog of W UMa eclipsing binaries in the field to V = 18.8, which display a Gaussian period distribution of 0.277 0.036 d. Several binary systems are likely composed of equal-mass M-dwarf components and others display evidence of mass transfer. We find 17 candidate blue stragglers and one binary that has the shortest period known, 0.2009 d (V = 20.9). The frequency of eclipsing binaries (all types) is found to be 1.7 0.4 × 10^-3 per star, substantially higher (by a factor of 3-10) than previously determined in the halos of the globular clusters 47 Tuc and ω Cen. This indicates that cluster dynamics aid mass segregation and binary destruction.