A Photometric Analysis of the Apsidal Motion Binary System PV Cassiopeiae

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Session 85 -- Binaries
Display presentation, Wednesday, 11, 1995, 9:20am - 6:30pm

[85.01] A Photometric Analysis of the Apsidal Motion Binary System PV Cassiopeiae

Morrie J. Barembaum \& Paul B. Etzel (San Diego State University)

Thirty-one nights of UBV(RI)${}_c$ photometry of the apsidal-motion binary system PV Cassiopeiae are presented. Timings for six primary and eight secondary minima have been determined. With our new photometry, we determined new orbital solutions with the NDE model. We have found reflection to be moderately important and the limb-darkening coefficient for the U filter to be significantly higher than theory. In these new solutions, not only is the secondary component the more massive, it is also the more luminous and larger of the two components. The colors for both components of PV Cas suggest a B9.5 V spectral type, which, together with the adopted masses and radii, are consistent with relatively unevolved main-sequence stars.

An orbital eccentricity of 0.032 was adopted for the system. We determined a new non-linear ephemeris, which provides a period of apsidal motion of $U = 94 \pm 2\hbox{ years}$. An internal structure constant of $\log k_2 = -2.45$ results.

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