Photometric Analysis of the Contact Binary BF Pavonis

GONZALEZ, J. F.; LAPASSET, E.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC

Astronomical Society of the Pacific

Año: 1996 vol. 108 p. 338 - 343

0004-6280

We present UBV photoelectric observations of the W UMa star BF Pav obtained between 1987 and 1993. A minimum times study allows to detect a likely period increase of about 0.015 sec/year. The Wilson-Devinney code is employed to simultaneously model, the B and V light curves for several fixed values of mass-ratio q. From the quality-of-fit of the different solutions an approximate value of q=1.4 +- 0.2 is derived. Absolute values of masses, dimensions and luminosities are estimated by means of standard mass-luminosity relations for main sequence stars. The detected period variations determines a lower limit of 5 10^-7 solar mass/year for the rate of mass transfer from the less massive to the more massive component. We speculate that BF Pav has recently become in contact and is now in a rapid phase of mass-transfer. (SECTION: Stars)