Orbital Period Variation in the Chromospherically Active Binary FF UMa (2RE J0933+624)

Abstract

AbstractWe present here a detailed study of FF UMa (2RE J0933+624), a recently discovered, X-ray/EUV selected, active binary system with strong Hα emission. By using high-resolution echelle spectroscopic observations taken during five observing runs from 1998 to 2004, we derived precise radial velocities that allowed us to determine the orbital solution of the system at different epochs. Analyzing these orbital solutions, together with a previous one determined in 1993 by other authors, we have found a change in the heliocentric Julian date on conjunction (Tconj) that can be explained by a change with time in the orbital period of the system. The relative amplitude of the orbital period variation derived from these data was dP/P ≈ 5 x 10−4, which is larger than the variations found in other similar chromospherically active binaries like AR Lac and HR 1099. This orbital period variation can be related (Applegate 1992; Lanza 1998, 2006) with the modulation of the gravitational quadrupole-moment of its magnetically active secondary star produced by angular momentum exchanges within its convective envelope. In addition, using these observations, we have determined the stellar parameters of the components and we have carried out a study of the chromospheric activity using all the optical indicators from Ca ii H&K to Ca ii IRT lines.