Abstract
Radial velocities of the primary star of ɛ Aur are presented for phases outside the eclipse between 1975 and 1985. A violent collapse of the atmosphere has occurred with a velocity of about 40 km s−1 on October 1977, indicating a decrease of 0.07 AU in the radius for three days. A shrinking of the primary star is suggested from the characteristics of eclipse light curves that the duration of totality has become longer and the duration of eclipse shorter from eclipse to eclipse. The decrement of radius is estimated to be about 16%, 0.2 AU, in recent 27 years.
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Saitō, M., Kitamura, M. Possible shrinking of the primary component of epsilon aurigae. Astrophys Space Sci 122, 387–393 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00650203
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00650203