AU Monocerotis–improved elements

Centre for Advanced Study in Astronomy, Osmania University, Hyderabad - 500 007, India

Send offprint request to: P. Vivekananda Rao

Received: 16 June 1997
Accepted: 5 August 1997

Abstract

From an analysis, using Wilson-Devinney method, of the corrected yellow light curve of the semi detached eclipsing binary system AU Monocerotis (AU Mon), obtained by Lorenzi (1980b), an improved value for the mass ratio, q, equal to 0.1985 and reliable geometrical elements were derived.They give the absolute elements as: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and . When compared to main sequence stars of similar mass, the primary is found to have normal luminosity, bigger size and lower temperature while the secondary is found to have higher luminosity, bigger size and normal temperature for their masses. On the HR diagram of the normal main sequence stars, the primary is found to lie near but above the main sequence (brighter by ). The secondary component is far above the main sequence and is overluminous by about .