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Session 31 - Binary Stars: New Generation Modeling Developments.
Display session, Tuesday, June 10
South Main Hall,
V471 Tau is an eclipsing binary star system, containing a K dwarf and a white dwarf, with a phase dependent source of H\alpha seen in absorption around primary eclipse and in emission around secondary eclipse. Many observers have come to agree that the appearance of emission comes from a chromospheric spot covering most of the K dwarf's hemisphere which is facing the white dwarf. This emission results from the reprocessing of incident ultraviolet radiation from the white dwarf. After constructing a model of the spot, spectral profiles are generated and subtracted from the observed H\alpha taken during two different observing seasons. The differences reveal other sources of emission in this important spectral line. Two potentially active zones are detected as centered regions around phase 0.20 and 0.85. Their possible relationship with stellar dark spots and active longitudinal belts is considered.
