Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-hfldf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-07T13:04:52.007Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Changes in the Period of the Eclipsing System AH Virginis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 April 2016

H.D. Kennedy*
Affiliation:
Midway Observatory, Kelvin Grove College of Advanced Education

Extract

Guthnick and Prager (1929) were the discoverers of the variability of AH Virginis. Prager (1929) produced a photographic light curve the same year. Lause (1934, 1935, 1937) observed the system visually and improved the period as deduced by Prager. Further visual work on the system was done by Zessewitsch (1944). The first photoelectric observations came from Huruhata and Nakamura (1951), followed in 1952 by Kitamura, Tanabe and Nakamura (1957).

Lack of their data on ingress and egress at primary eclipse resulted in the mean curve showing a rounded bottom during minimum light. From this, an inclination of the system of 61° was derived by Kopal and Shapley (1956). Two years later, Kwee (1958) revealed primary minimum to be flat bottomed; the light remaining constant for some 40 minutes. This was confirmed by Binnendijk (1960), thus classifying AH Virginis as one of the few W UMa systems which display complete eclipses at an inclination likely to be closer to 90° then to 61°. Observations of the present study confirm constancy of light of 40 minutes duration during primary minimum. Assuming i = 90°, a new orbital solution was derived by Kitamura and Takahashi (1959) showing constant light for both minima. Binnendijk’s observation, however, showed a curved appearance at secondary minimum. The present observations indicate curved as well as flat secondary minima.

Type
Contributions
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Australia 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Binnendijk, L., J. Astron. Soc. Canada, 51, 83 (1957).Google Scholar
Binnendijk, L., Astron. J., 65, 358 (1960).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guthnick, P., and Prager, R., Beob. Zirk., 13, 32 (1929).Google Scholar
Hertzsprung, E., Bull. Astron. Inst. Neth., 4, 179 (1928).Google Scholar
Hoffmann, M., I.B.V.S., 1933 (1981).Google Scholar
Huruhata, M., and Nakamura, T., Bull. Tokyo Obs., 33, 233 (1951).Google Scholar
Kennedy, H.D., and Wisniewski, W.K., Publ. Var. Star. Sect., R.A.S.N.Z., 8, 17 (1980).Google Scholar
Kitamura, M., Tanabe, H., and Nakamura, T., Publ. Aslron. Soc. Japan, 9, 119 (1957).Google Scholar
Kitamura, M., and Takahoshi, C., Tokyo Astron. Bull., 123 (1959).Google Scholar
Kopal, Z. and Shapley, M.B., Jodrell Bank Ann., 1, 141 (1956).Google Scholar
Kwee, K.K., Bull. Astron. Inst. Neth., 14, 131 (1958).Google Scholar
Kwee, K.K., and van Woerden, H., Bull. Astron. Inst. Neth., 12, 327(1956).Google Scholar
Lause, F., Astron. Nachr., 254, 373 (1934).Google Scholar
Lause, F., Astron. Nachr., 257, 211 (1935).Google Scholar
Lause, F., Astron. Nachr., 264, 106 (1937).Google Scholar
Nason, M.E., and Moore, R.C., Astron. J., 56, 182 (1951).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prager, R., Kl. Veroff. Berlin-Babelsberg, 6, 36 (1929).Google Scholar
Zessewitsch, V.P., Kazan Astron. Circ, 35, 9 (1944).Google Scholar