RADIO OBSERVATIONS OF PECULIAR EMISSION-LINE ALGOL BINARY STARS

Twelve peculiar emission-line Algol (PELA) binaries were observed at c m wavelengths. Six of these objects, WW And (tentative), KX And, AM Au r, V644 Mon, DN Ori, and AY Per were detected at the approximately 100 to 400 muJy level, corresponding to luminosity densities of order 10( 17) erg s - 1 Hz - 1. These luminosity densities, combined with nearly flat cm spectra and high brightness temperatures (greater than or sim ilar to 10(6) K, assuming emission region radii less than or similar 1 AU), are consistent with the nonthermal gyrosynchrotron radiation mod el proposed as the result of observations from the previous PELA surve y. Also, the star V367 Cyg (a PELA from the previous survey) was reobs erved at thirteen different orbital phases; no variability was found w ithin the errors. V367 Cyg's lack of variability and well-determined a verage spectral index (almost-equal-to +0.6), however, imply the possi bility of a different emission mechanism, thermal bremsstrahlung, alth ough the nonthermal model cannot be entirely ruled out. The characteri stic brightness temperature of thermal bremsstrahlung is only approxim ately 10(4) K, which means that the radius of the emission region woul d have to be much larger than previously assumed, approximately 10 AU. Suggestions for further observations of all previously observed PELAS are presented in order to determine the correct emission mechanism.