V669 Cep: A new binary system with a B[e] star

¹ Ritter Observatory, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606-3390, USA
² Central Astronomical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences at Pulkovo, 196140, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
³ Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Karachai-Cirkassian Republic, Nizhnij Arkhyz, 369167, Russia
⁴ Isaac Newton Institute of Chile, SAO Branch
⁵ Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corporation, 65-1238 Mamalahoa Hwy., Kamuela, HI 96743, USA
⁶ ISO Data Centre, Science Operations and Data Systems Division of the Research and Scientific Support Department of ESA, Villafranca del Castillo, Apartado de Correos 50727, 28080 Madrid, Spain
⁷ INSA S.A., Villafranca del Castillo, Apartado de Correos 50727, 28080 Madrid, Spain
⁸ The Aerospace Corp. M2/266, PO Box 92957, Los Angeles, CA 90009, USA
⁹ Cornell University, Dept. of Astronomy, 226 Space Sciences Bldg., Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
¹⁰ Lizard Hollow Observatory, PO Box 77021, Tucson, AZ 85703-7021 USA

Corresponding author: A. S. Miroshnichenko, anatoly@physics.utoledo.edu

Received: 1 March 2002
Accepted: 4 April 2002

Abstract

We present the results of optical and near-IR spectroscopic and broadband multicolour photometric observations of the emission-line object V669 Cep. We find evidence that it contains a hot, low luminosity, B4–B6 star and a cool companion (most likely late-type giant). Significant variations of the Hα line strength are detected on a timescale of months. The emission-line spectrum and strong IR-excess indicate a large amount of circumstellar gas and dust in the system. The spectral energy distribution in the near-IR region and the absence of late-type star features in the optical spectrum indicates that the cool star is heavily obscured by circumstellar dust, while the hot star is much less affected by reddening. The system is located at 1–1.5 kpc from the Sun in the local spiral arm. We suggest that V669 Cep is an evolved and probably mass exchanging binary system, a member of the group of Be stars with warm dust.