The RS Canum Venaticorum binaries

Abstract

This review presents a brief up-to-date summary of observational properties of RS CVn binaries, with emphasis on the photometric. A table of the 69 systems known at this time give the orbital period, mean apparent V magnitude, spectral classification, range of amplitude determinations for the photometric wave, and an indication of known period variations and eclipses. Points considered are (1) the underlying cause of the extreme surface activity, (2) the evolutionary status, (3) the geometric configuration, (4) the temperature, size, shape, location, and lifetimes of the dark spot regions, (5) synchronization of rotational and orbital motion, (6) spectroscopic features in the optical and far ultraviolet, (7) the wave migration, (8) the search for spot cycles, and (9) the orbital period variations produced by the enhanced stellar wind.