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RW Arietis, A Short Period Pulsating Star, One Component of an Eclipsing Binary

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Edith J. Woodward

Wm. Paterson College, Wayne, New Jersey

Abstract

RW Arietis (021017) was found by Detre (1937) to be a pulsating RR Lyrae star with a period of 0.2614151d. In 1962 Notni published a new period of 0.3543184d. Wisniewski (1971) reported photoelectric observations on 19 nights in 1966 which confirmed Notni's period, but also indicated that the pulsating star is apparently one component of an eclipsing binary. Since access to the publications concerned is difficult for many, I have attempted to show roughly in Figure 1 Wisniewski's 1966 observations. The average light curve (RR Lyrae type variations only) is shown by black dots, and his observations on three particular nights are indicated by the syumbols "X", "O", and "+". The "X" symbols (on the night of JD 2439411) were assumed to represent a normal RR Lyrae type pulsation super-imposed on a secondary minimum eclipse. The observations on nights 384 and 505 seem to represent this pulsation superimposed on a primary minimum eclipse.