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1. Introduction

Mass is the fundamental parameter on which the evolution and the physical properties of a star at a given time depend directly. The mass of a star, its radius, effective temperature and abundances can only be accurately measured for double-lined eclipsing binaries with well determined light and radial velocity curves. For late-type stars these fundamental quantities are poorly defined. The current calibrations in the mass range tex2html_wrap_inline941 are based on only a few stars. New and more accurate determinations of masses, radii, temperatures and abundances are thus needed for late-type stars. With this aim, we have undertaken a 6 year monitoring program of six binary systems classified in the literature as main sequence late-type stars and obtained good photometric uvby and Htex2html_wrap_inline945 light curves for three of them during 16 observing campaigns.

CR Cas is a detached binary system which was included in the photometric monitoring program of low mass eclipsing binaries due to its classifications as spectral type G5 by Leung & Scheneider (1977). The time of minimum is JD 2440526.279 and the period is 2.840147 days (Danielkiewicz-Krośniak & Kurpińska-Winiarska 1994). Lacy (1992) observed CR Cas as a good candidate for determination of accurate absolute dimensions and obtained tex2html_wrap_inline947 and tex2html_wrap_inline949 from three photometric points.

In this paper we present the first uvby light curves for CR Cas. A few Htex2html_wrap_inline945 observations were also performed. Mean tex2html_wrap_inline945 values for the comparison stars and binary system at different orbital phases are given. We also present the decoupling of the contribution of both components to the combined light, and their photometric analysis.

A preliminary analysis of the uvby photometry, with data from the two first campaigns, suggested that the system is a highly reddened early-type binary (Clement et al. 1993). The posterior careful analysis with the data presented in this paper gives the same result. Spectroscopic observations show the presence of He I lines, confirming this conclusion (Popper, private communication).


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