Abstract
The eclipsing binary LY Aur (O9II + O9III) belongs to the rare class of early-type contact systems. We obtained 23 new spectra at the Ondrejov and Dominion Astrophysical Observatories, which were analysed with four older Calar Alto and one ELODIE archive spectra.
A new result of this study is that the visual companion of LY Aur - the spectral lines of which are clearly seen in our spectra - is also an SB1 binary having an orbital period of 20(d).46, an eccentric orbit, and a radial velocity semi-amplitude of 33 km s(-1). The H alpha line blend contains an emission component, which shows dependence on the orbital phase of the eclipsing system, with the strongest emission around the secondary eclipse.
Revised elements of the eclipsing binary and the orbital solution of the companion binary are determined from our set of spectra and new light-curve solutions of the eclipsing pair. The mass of the primary of 25.5 M-circle dot agrees well with its spectral type, whereas the secondary mass of 14 M-circle dot is smaller than expected.
From an O-C analysis of the minimum times of LY Aur that span more than 40 years, we found that the orbital period is decreasing, indicating the presence of interaction processes. The system is likely in a phase of non-conservative mass exchange.