Light curves for CX Draconis. The main plot, from Hipparcos data,[1] shows the long-term variability. The inset plot, from TESS data,[2] shows how the brightness changes of short timescales.
In 1921, this target was found to have a varying radial velocity by J. S. Plaskett and associates.[13][14] It was shown to be a Be star by O. C. Mohler in 1940,[15] and in 1965 M. Lacoarret studied variations in the hydrogen alpha emission profiles from the target. This system was discovered to be a photometricvariable by P. Merlin in 1975.[14]P. Koubský measured the radial velocity variations in 1976,[16] and in 1978 published orbital elements for this binary system with a period of 6.696 days.[17] He found that the variation in emission lines matched the time scale of the orbit, indicating that this is an interacting binary.[11]
Models indicate that the main source of the H-alpha emission is located mid-way between the two stars, with other emission lines originating from an accretion disk orbiting the primary. The circumstellar environment is changing in cycles lasting hundreds of days.[7] Infrared emission to the northeast of the system suggests it may be undergoing systematic mass loss.[19]
^ abcRichards, Mercedes T.; Koubský, Pavel; Šimon, Vojtěch; Peters, Geraldine J.; Hirata, Ryuko; Škoda, Petr; Masuda, Seiji (March 2000), "A Multiwavelength Study of Spectral Variations in the CX Draconis Binary", The Astrophysical Journal, 531 (2): 1003–1027, Bibcode:2000ApJ...531.1003R, doi:10.1086/308491, S2CID122795224.
^Abt, Helmut A.; Gomez, Ana E.; Levy, Saul G. (October 1990), "The Frequency and Formation Mechanism of B2--B5 Main-Sequence Binaries", Astrophysical Journal Supplement, 74: 551, Bibcode:1990ApJS...74..551A, doi:10.1086/191508.
^ abHarmanec, P.; Koubský, P.; Nemravová, J.; Royer, F.; Briot, D.; North, P.; Lampens, P.; Frémat, Y.; Yang, S.; Božić, H.; Kotková, L.; Škoda, P.; Šlechta, M.; Korčáková, D.; Wolf, M.; Zasche, P. (January 2015), "Properties and nature of Be stars 30. Reliable physical properties of a semi-detached B9.5e+G8III binary BR CMi = HD 61273 compared to those of other well studied semi-detached emission-line binaries", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 573, arXiv:1411.5651, Bibcode:2015A&A...573A.107H, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201424640, S2CID118456434, A107.
^ abcdeHorn, J.; Hubert, A. M.; Hubert, H.; Koubsky, P.; Bailloux, N. (June 1992), "CX Draconis : the orbit parameters for both components", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 259: L5 –L8, Bibcode:1992A&A...259L...5H.
^Plaskett, J. S.; Harper, W. E.; Young, R. K.; Plaskett, H. H. (1921), "Eighty-eight spectroscopic binaries", Publications of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory Victoria, 1: 287–306, Bibcode:1921PDAO....1..287P.
^ abMerlin, P. (February 1975), "Variations photométriques de l'étoile B à émission HD 174237", Astronomy and Astrophysics (in French), 39: 139–141, Bibcode:1975A&A....39..139M.
^Koubský, P. (October 1976), "HD 174237 (MWC 608)", Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 1188 (1): 1, Bibcode:1976IBVS.1188....1K.
^Koubský, P. (1978), "Properties and Nature of Be and Shell Stars. 9. Periodic Radial-velocity Changes of HD 174237", Bulletin of the Astronomical Institute of Czechoslovakia, 29: 288, Bibcode:1978BAICz..29..288K.
^Guinan, E. F.; Koch, R. H.; Plavec, M. J. (July 1984), "Einstein observations of selected close binaries and shell stars", Astrophysical Journal, 282: 667–674, Bibcode:1984ApJ...282..667G, doi:10.1086/162246.
Iwamatsu, H.; Hirata, R.; Masuda, S. (2000), Smith, Myron A.; Henrichs, Huib F. (eds.), "Origin of Circumstellar Matter in the Spectroscopic Binary CX Dra", The Be Phenomenon in Early-Type Stars, IAU Colloquium 175, ASP Conference Proceedings, vol. 214, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, p. 701, Bibcode:2000ASPC..214..701I, ISBN1-58381-045-5.
Koubský, P.; Richards, M. T.; Šimon, V. (February 1998), Dusek, J.; Zejda, M. (eds.), "Circumstellar Matter in the Interacting Binary CX Draconis", Proceedings of the 29th Conference on Variable Star Research. 7th - 9th November 1997. Brno, Czech Republic, p. 64, Bibcode:1998stel.conf...64K, ISBN80-85882-09-4.
Koubsky, P.; Harmanec, P.; Bozic, H.; Rercy, J. R.; Ziznovsky, J.; Huang, L.; Richards, M. T.; Hadrava, P.; Simon, V. (1998), "Spectroscopy and Photometry of the Interacting Binary CX Draconis - Evidence for Circumstellar Mater", Hvar Observatory Bulletin, 22 (1): 17–36, Bibcode:1998HvaOB..22...17K.
Simon, V. (April 1996), "The interacting binary CX Draconis: new orbital elements and evidence for mass transfer.", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 308: 799–808, Bibcode:1996A&A...308..799S.
Koubský, P.; Horn, J.; Harmanec, P.; Peters, G. J.; Polidan, R. S. (1990), İbanoğlu, C (ed.), "Interacting Binary CX Draconis", Active Close Binaries, NATO ASI Series, vol. 319, Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 237–238, doi:10.1007/978-94-009-0679-2_18, ISBN978-94-010-6790-4.
Magalashvili, N. L.; Kumsishvili, Ya. I. (1986), "Photometric observations of the emission B star CX Dra (HD 174237)", Byulleten Abastumanskaya Astrofizicheskaya Observatoriya, 61: 79–82, Bibcode:1986AbaOB..61...79M.
Harmanec, P.; Horn, J.; Koubsky, P.; Ziznovsky, J. (March 1981), "Call for Systematic Photoelectric Observations of CX Dra", Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 1931: 1, Bibcode:1981IBVS.1931....1H.
Koubský, P.; Harmanec, P.; Horn, J.; Jerzykiewicz, M.; Papoušek, J.; Kříž, S.; Pavlovski, K.; Ždárský, F. (1980), "Properties and Nature of Be and Shell Stars. 10. Light and Colour Variations of CX Dra", Bulletin of the Astronomical Institute of Czechoslovakia, 31 (2): 75–84, Bibcode:1980BAICz..31...75K.