Rotation of Algol binaries -- a line profile model applied to observations

Abstract

Rotation estimates with probable errors are given for the primaries of 13 Algol-type binaries, based on newly observed absorption line profiles and a new computer model. The model includes the effects of damping and thermal and turbulent Doppler broadening in addition to rotational broadening, and is coupled to a binary star model (originally developed to compute light curves) so as to include binary star effects. The intrinsic line profile theory is summarized, as adopted from Mihalas. The line profiles were fitted according to the least squares criterion, by both the differential corrections and simplex algorithms. Damping constants, Nf values, and microturbulent velocities also are estimated from the observations. The CCD-based spectral scans are tabulated.