AV Hydrae: A Near-Contact Semi-Detached Binary with Possible Massand Angular Momentum Loss

Abstract

The photoelectric observations of the neglected binary AV Hya published by Srivastava and Kandpal (1980) have been re-analyzed using Wilson-Devinney's synthetic light-curve program. The binary turns out to be a near-contact semi-detached system. The primary, more massive, more luminous and greater component, eclipsed at primary minimum, is detached from its Roche lobe (85%). The secondary fills its Roche lobe and has a temperature difference of ΔT=,-3414 K. As with other semi-detached binaries, the secondary is more evolved than that of the primary. Thetimes of light minima of the eclipsing have been analyzed,showing that the orbital period of AV Hya undergoes acontinuous decrease with a rate of dP/dE=-8.26×10^-8 day/year. The mass transfer between the twocomponents can not explain the present orbital period variationsince the secondary component is filling the Roche lobe. Theorbital period change demonstrates that the system may undergoa secular mass and angular momentum loss and the system mayevolve from the present short-period near-contact system intoan A-type contact binary.