THE NEARBY ELLIPSOIDAL VARIABLE TV PICTORIS

TV Pic is identified as a bright, near-contact mid-A + early-F binary seen under a moderate inclination of 54 degrees. From the analyses rep orted in this paper, it appears that both components are undermassive (1.2+0.4 M.), and that the secondary rotates not synchronously but mor e than twice as fast. These conclusions follow from the analysis of (1 ) high-dispersion spectra near both quadrature phases, to which the se condary contributes roughly 10% in the visual light, and (2) light-cur ves in the Stromgren and Walraven system covering the interval 3200-56 00 Angstrom and a time span of more than 2600 rotational periods. The light-curves show a very pronounced O'Connell effect, and only margina l colour variations. Models assuming a temperature spot either on the primary or the secondary explain the major part of the asymmetry in th e light-curves, and are intended to provide useful initial estimates f or more advanced mathematical codes. However, a more realistic physica l model will require more discriminatory data, including spectroscopic observations in other spectral windows, and spectroscopy over the who le orbital cycle.