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Paper: Binary Star Studies with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer
Volume: 194, Working on the Fringe: Optical and IR Interferometry from Ground and Space
Page: 51
Authors: Lane, B. F.; Boden, A. F.
Abstract: The Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI) is a long-baseline, K-band interferometer located at Palomar Observatory. During the 1997, 98 and 99 observing seasons PTI has resolved the orbits of a number of small-separation, short-period spectroscopic binaries: α CrB, iota Pegasi, 64 Psc, and 12 Boo. α CrB is a well-known eclipsing system (Tomkin and Popper 1986) with significant δ-K magnitude between primary and secondary (3.2 mag). 1997 and 1998 PTI data is able to resolve the orbit despite this relatively large magnitude difference and limited u-v coverage. iota Pegasi (Boden 1999a) is a double-lined system suggested by Fekel and Tomkin (1983) as a possible eclipsing system based on spectral type information, yet repeated photometric observation has failed to show evidence for eclipses. In our orbit we see the system as only 0.75 deg (roughly two sigma) away from apparent limb-to-limb contact, and consistent with the Fekel and Tomkin radial velocity work. 64 Psc (Boden 1999b) is a nearly-equal mass system with a possible third component suggested by Nadal et al (1979) based on long-term variation in the spectroscopic orbital parameters. Although our orbit based on PTI data is in good agreement with the 1979 spectroscopic parameters, our solution shows no indication of a time-varying orbit. In addition, follow-up observations at the Keck telescope show no evidence for a third body in the 64 Psc system. 12 Boo is an equal-mass short-period system which shows an interesting intensity difference between its components.
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