We report new mid-eclipse times of the short-period sdB/dM binary HW Virginis , which differ substantially from the times predicted by a previous model .
The proposed orbits of the two planets in that model are found to be unstable .
We present a new secularly stable solution , which involves two companions orbiting HW Vir with periods of 12.7 yr and 55 \pm 15 yr. For orbits coplanar with the binary , the inner companion is a giant planet with mass M _ { 3 } \mathrm { sin } i _ { 3 } \simeq 14 M _ { \mathrm { Jup } } and the outer one a brown dwarf or low-mass star with a mass of M _ { 4 } \mathrm { sin } i _ { 4 } = 30 - 120 M _ { \mathrm { Jup } } .
Using the mercury6 code , we find that such a system would be stable over more than 10 ^ { 7 } yr , in spite of the sizeable interaction .
Our model fits the observed eclipse-time variations by the light-travel time effect alone , without invoking any additional process , and provides support for the planetary hypothesis of the eclipse-time variations in close binaries .
The signature of non-Keplerian orbits may be visible in the data .