Fourier analysis of the light curves of eclipsing variables,XIX

The aim of the present paper has been to generalize the methods previously developed for analysis of the light changes of eclipsing binary systems in the frequency-domain to cases in which the components of such systems revolve in eccentric orbits. It is shown that these methods can indeed be generalized to systems with eccentric orbits provided that the light momentsA _2m deduced from such eclipses are suitably re-defined in terms of the true, rather than mean, anomaly in the relative orbit; and that due attention is paid to the unit of length in terms of which the fractional radii of the two stars are expressed. When this is done the Fourier methods continue to be applicable to all types of eclipses exhibited by eccentric binary systems — whether these are occultations or transits; total, annular or partial.An application of these methods to practical cases has been postponed for a subsequent communication.