A SPECTRUM OF RY SGR DURING RECOVERY FROM ITS 1993 MINIMUM

A spectrum of the RCB star RY Sgr in the red and near IR was obtained during its recovery from a deep minimum, The spectrum shows numerous w eak emission lines blueshifted by 20 km s(-1) relative to the photosph ere of the star, In addition to the emission-line spectrum, strong, bl ueshifted Na I D lines are seen in absorption at a velocity of -200 km s(-1). An analysis of these lines shows that the column density of Na I in this fast-moving cloud is 2.5X10(13) cm(-2) and that the Na I/K I ratio is substantially enhanced above the solar ratio. The inverse P Cygni profiles of the weak sharp lines are consistent with a picture in which outward moving gas may be interacting with a layer above it t o create a weak shock capable of ionizing metals but not C I.