Knee, Lewis Benjamin Graham2024-08-142024-08-1419851985https://hdl.handle.net/1828/18461The analysis of new multi-colour photometric observations of the primary eclipse of the binary system RZ Ophiuchi is presented. The ratio of the radii k of the two stars has been determined using the effective temperature and bolometric correction of each star derived from the photometry, and a photometric solution for the orbital inclination and the radii of each star made using this value. The solution supports the model of RZ Ophiuchi favoured by Baldwin and by Forbes and Scarfe, in which the secondary star does not fill its Roche lobe. The photometric results were combined with the new radial-velocity solution for this system of Mayor, and the physical parameters of the system determined. A short discussion of the peculiar evolutionary history of the system is presented; :t appears that RZ Ophiuchi may be an example of a system in a short-lived phase of Case C mass exchange. A few suggestions for further research are given.108 pagesAvailable to the World Wide WebThesis