The active RS Canum Venaticorum binary II Pegasi - II. Surface images for 1992-1996

Using new high-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio spectroscopic obse rvations carried out in 1992-1996, nine surface images of II Peg are obtain ed. The inversion technique applied is the recently developed Occamian appr oach, which does not put any artificial constraints on the solution and pro vides an error analysis of the solution. The surface imaging is applied to Ca I, Fe I, and Ni I lines simultaneously, a number of blending atomic and molecular lines being included into the line list. Two high-latitude active regions are found to dominate in all seasons, whic h determine the spectroscopic and photometric variability. No cool polar ca p is seen. The positions of the spots are constantly migrating to earlier o rbital phases with approximately the same rate. This motion of the spot con figuration means a shorter rotational period, which is just about the mean photometric period. The mean longitude separation between the active region s is about 180 degrees. This is considered as two active longitudes. The la rgest of the two spots seems to be close to the central meridian, i.e. tend s to be faced toward the secondary. In 1994 it changed its position from on e active longitude to another, showing the effect of switching the activity between the longitudes.