AN INVESTIGATION OF THE SPECTROSCOPIC-VISUAL TRIPLE SYSTEM 20 LEONIS

Strömgren uvby photometry of the spectroscopic-visual triple system 20 Leonis was obtained at Mount Laguna Observatory of San Diego State University. The δ Scuti visual component was found to have only one period of 0.0826 day, although another may be present in the data. The spectroscopic binary component was found to undergo grazing eclipses from which an inclination of 75 ± 1 degrees was tentatively determined. Radial velocities obtained from the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory 1.2-m telescope were combined with Fekel & Bopp's 1977 velocities, and new orbital elements were calculated. Spectroscopic observations of the visual component also showed that there has been an observable change in the system since 1977. The possibility that this system may be an ellipsoidal variable rather than an eclipsing binary was also investigated.