EG Andromedae: A New Orbit and Additional Evidence for a Photoionized Wind

Scott J. Kenyon, Michael R. Garcia

Published 2016-04-15Version 1

We analyze a roughly 20 yr set of spectroscopic observations for the symbiotic binary EG And. Radial velocities derived from echelle spectra are best-fit with a circular orbit having orbital period P = 483.3 +- 1.6 days and semi-amplitude K = 7.34 +- 0.07 km/sec. Combined with previous data, these observations rule out an elliptical orbit at the 10-sigma level. Equivalent widths of H~I Balmer emission lines and various absorption features vary in phase with the orbital period. Relative to the radius of the red giant primary, the apparent size of the H II region is consistent with a model where a hot secondary star with effective temperature of roughly 75,000 K ionizes the wind from the red giant.