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A Search for the Secondary Spectrum of ε Aurigae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 April 2012

P. D. Bennett
Affiliation:
Eureka Scientific, Inc., 2452 Delmer Street, Suite 100, Oakland, CA 94602-3017, USA Department of Astronomy & Physics, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, NS, CanadaB3H 3C3 email: pbennett@ap.smu.ca
P. Harmanec
Affiliation:
Astronomical Institute of the Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, V Holešovičkách 2, CZ-180 00 Praha 8, Czech Republic
P. Chadima
Affiliation:
Astronomical Institute of the Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, V Holešovičkách 2, CZ-180 00 Praha 8, Czech Republic
S. Yang
Affiliation:
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, CanadaV8W 3P6
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The enigmatic long period (P = 27.1 yr) eclipsing binary, ε Aurigae, recently emerged from its 2009–2011 eclipse. We have analyzed out-of-eclipse observations (Chadima et al. 2010) obtained over the past 17 years: 306 medium-resolution, high S/N, spectroscopic observations from 6300–6700 Å. Of these, 105 spectra were obtained at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) near Victoria, Canada, from 1994–2010, and 201 spectra were obtained at Ondřejov Observatory (OND), from 2006–2010. Analyzing these data, Chadima et al. (these proceedings) reported on a positive, but ultimately spurious, detection of a secondary spectrum. Their attempts at disentangling the binary spectra were foiled by line profile variations of the F star primary. The 6300-6700 Å spectral region contains several strong stellar lines but space limitations allow us to present only the results for Si II 6347 Å. We examine the centroids and higher moments of this prominent F star spectral line for any evidence of a secondary spectrum. Even if secondary contributions are blended with the F star lines, contamination by the secondary star should produce a centroid shift that is anti-correlated with the orbit of the F star primary.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2012

References

Bennett, P. D., Ake, T. B., & Harper, G. M. 2005, BAAS, 37, 495Google Scholar
Chadima, P., Harmanec, P., Yang, S. et al. , 2010, IBVS, No. 5937Google Scholar
Chadima, P., Harmanec, P., Bennett, P. D. et al. , 2011, A&A, 530, A146Google Scholar