A New Apsidal Motion Determination of the Eclipsing Binary Star V459 Cassiopeiae: A Possible Discrepancy Between the Theory and the Observation

Abstract

Photometric and spectroscopic observations and analysis of the eccentric eclipsing binary V459 Cassiopeiae (e=0.0244) were performed by Lacy et al. (2004). Observations of minimum light show the presence of apsidal motion. In order to find the observed rate of apsidal motion, I followed the procedure described by Guinan & Maloney (1985). A new observed rate of apsidal motion of 15.2/100 yr with a period of 2400 yr is computed which is not in agreement with the one reported earlier. Also the advance of the periastron is calculated theoretically by taking into account the Newtonian (classical) and general-relativistic effects according to the physical and orbital parameters of the system. The theoretical value of 2.64/100 yr is obtained which is 5.75 times smaller than the observed rate of the apsidal motion.