This is a single-lined[3]spectroscopic binary star system in a circular orbit with an orbital period of 3.7005 days.[14] It is an ellipsoidal variable, which means the orbit is sufficiently close that the shapes of the components are being distorted by their mutual gravitation. This is causing the visual magnitude of the system to vary regularly by 0m.05 over the course of each orbit, as the orientation of the stars change with respect to the Earth.[4] Detailed analysis of the light curve suggests that the primary star is also pulsating and is probably a Slowly pulsating B-type star.[5]
The secondary star is not detectable clearly, but modelling of the brightness variations and orbit suggest that it is a main sequence star with a spectral class of about B6. It is smaller, cooler, and much less luminous than the primary, and orbits at about 26 astronomical units.[5]
^ abcdCrawford, D. L.; et al. (1971), "Four-color, H-beta, and UBV photometry for bright B-type stars in the northern hemisphere", The Astronomical Journal, 76: 1058, Bibcode:1971AJ.....76.1058C, doi:10.1086/111220.
^Evans, D. S. (June 20–24, 1966), "The Revision of the General Catalogue of Radial Velocities", in Batten, Alan Henry; Heard, John Frederick (eds.), Determination of Radial Velocities and their Applications, Proceedings from IAU Symposium no. 30, vol. 30, University of Toronto: International Astronomical Union, p. 57, Bibcode:1967IAUS...30...57E.
^ abAbt, Helmut A.; Boonyarak, Chayan (November 2004), "Tidal Effects in Binaries of Various Periods", The Astrophysical Journal, 616 (1): 562–566, Bibcode:2004ApJ...616..562A, doi:10.1086/423795.