IUE observations of W UMa-type stars.

Abstract

IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer) low-resolution SWP images of the contract binaries 44i Boo, VW Cep, W UMa, V566 Oph, AW UMa, V502 Oph, Epsilon CrA, RR Cen and the very close non-contact binary ER Vul have been studied. The results are compared with other UV and soft X-ray data and it is found that the stellar activity within this group is quite similar to solar activity but much more intense; the higher the general level of activity, the higher are the excitation energies that are seen, except that the soft X-ray emission of the W UMa stars does not conform to this picture. The ultraviolet chromospheric and transition-region normalized line fluxes are not very sensitive to spectral type and orbital period among W UMa stars. However, a small weakening towards earlier spectral types is evident. The far ultraviolet chromospheric and transition-region activity seems to level off towards short periods; for soft X-rays the coronal radiation of contact binaries is actually weaker than for detached binaries with somewhat longer periods. The C IV emission variations with phase in 44i Boo have been also analyzed.