• DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15659.x
• Corpus ID: 53314768

CoRoT photometry and high-resolution spectroscopy of the interacting eclipsing binary AU Monocerotis

@article{Desmet2010CoRoTPA,
  title={CoRoT photometry and high-resolution spectroscopy of the interacting eclipsing binary AU Monocerotis},
  author={Maarten Desmet and Yves Fr'emat and Frédéric Baudin and P. Harmanec and Patricia Lampens and Eduardo Janot Pacheco and Maryline Briquet and Pieter Degroote and Coralie Neiner and Ph. Mathias and Ennio Poretti and Monica Rainer and Katrien Uytterhoeven and Pedro J. Amado and J. C. Valtier and Andrej Pr{\vs}a and Carla Maceroni and Conny Aerts},
  journal={Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society},
  year={2010},
  volume={401},
  pages={418-432}
}

• M. Desmet, Y. Fr'emat, +15 authors C. Aerts
• Published 8 September 2009
• Physics
• Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Analyses of very accurate CoRoT space photometry, past Johnson V photoelectric photometry and high-resolution echelle spectra led to the determination of improved and consistent fundamental stellar properties of both components of AU Monocerotis. We derived new, accurate ephemerides for both the orbital motion (with a period of 11 d . 113) and the long-term, overall brightness variation (with a period of 416 d .9) of this strongly interacting Be + G semi-detached binary. It is shown that this long-term variation must be due to attenuation of the total light by some variable circumbinary material. We derived the binary mass ratio M G /M B = 0.17 ± 0.03 based on the assumption that the G-type secondary fills its Roche lobe and rotates synchronously. Using this value of the mass ratio as well as the radial velocities of the G-star, we obtained a consistent light curve model and improved estimates of the stellar masses, radii, luminosities and effective temperatures. We demonstrate that the observed lines of the B-type primary may not be of photospheric origin. We also discover rapid and periodic light changes visible in the high-quality residual CoRoT light curves. AU Mon is put into perspective by a comparison with known binaries exhibiting long-term cyclic light changes.