THE MASSIVE INTERACTING BINARY KX AND - THE ORBIT AND PHYSICAL PARAMETERS OF THE SECONDARY COMPONENT

High-resolution spectra with large signal-to-noise ratios are used to study the variability of the line profiles for the interacting binary Be star KX And. Lines of the secondary component were found to be pres ent in the red spectral region. These lines are used to determine its physical and kinematic parameters. The orbit of the secondary componen t is shown to be circular, with the system's center-of-mass velocity b eing -10 +/- 2 km s(-1) and K-2 = 86.2 +/- 0.8 km s(-1); consequently the orbital eccentricity inferred from observed lines of the primary c omponent is false. An analysis of the lines of the secondary component yields an estimate of its spectral type close to G8 II, with T-eff = 5000 +/- 400 K, log g = 2.0 +/- 0.5, and V sin i = 25 +/- 5 km s(-1). The detection of a considerable strengthening of ZrI and BaII lines po ints to an overabundance of these elements relative to iron as compare d to the solar values, which suggests that the secondary component is an AGB star.