Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-2002
Abstract
We have obtained spectroscopy and photometry of the chromospherically active, single-lined spectroscopic binaries HD 89546 and HD 113816. HD 89546 has a circular orbit with a period of 21.3596 days. Its primary has a spectral type of G9 III and is somewhat metal-poor with [Fe/H]~-0.5. HD 113816 has an orbit with a period of 23.6546 and a low eccentricity of 0.022. Its mass function is extremely small, 0.0007 Msolar, consistent with a very low inclination. The primary is a slightly metal-poor K2 III. A decade or more of photometric monitoring with an automatic telescope demonstrates that both systems display brightness variations due to rotational modulation of the visibility of photospheric star spots, as well as light-curve changes resulting from the redistribution of star spots by differential rotation and long-term changes in the filling factor of the spots. We determined rotation periods for each season when the observations were numerous enough. Our mean rotation periods of 21.3 and 24.1 days for HD 89546 and HD 113816, respectively, confirm that the giants in each system are synchronously rotating. The orbital elements and properties of the giant components of these two systems, including levels of surface magnetic activity, are quite similar. However, the two rotational inclinations are rather different, 57° for HD 89546 and 13° for HD 113816. Thus the latter giant is seen nearly pole on. We analyzed the light curves for similarities and differences that result from viewing these two systems from quite different inclinations.
Recommended Citation
Fekel, F.C.; Henry, G.W.; Eaton, J.A.; Sperauskas, J.; Hall, D.S. "Chromospherically Active Stars. XXI. The Giant, Single-lined Binaries HD 89546 And HD 113816" The Astronomical Journal, Volume 124, Issue 2, pp. 1064-1076 (2002).