Radial velocity studies and absolute parameters of contact binaries. II - OO Aquilae

Abstract

New high-precision radial velocities of the contact binary OO Aql have been obtained using the cross-correlation technique. The orbital elements have been corrected for proximity effects, using an analysis of published light curves of the system. The spectroscopically determined mass ratio of 0.843 is in excellent agreement with the photometrically determined value. OO Aql thus has one of the largest mass ratios observed for a contact binary. In contrast to almost all other contact binaries of G spectral type, the primary minimum is due to a transit by the less massive component, and thus the system is classified as an A-type contact binary. Absolute parameters are determined for OO Aql, which indicate that the primary component, although similar to the Sun in mass, is significantly more evolved. An age of about 8 Gyr and a metal abundance of one-half that of the Sun are determined. It seems that the system may have only recently evolved into contact, as suggested by Mochnacki, and that it is an important object for studies of the structure and evolution of contact binaries.