1998AJ....116..908B

Photometric and some spectroscopic observations of the white dwarf-red dwarf binary RR Cae (V = 14.36 mag) are presented. The light curve confirms an earlier report of deep eclipses. An orbital period of 0.303695 days is derived. Small out-of-eclipse variations–at least partly explicable as the result of reflection and tidal distortion–and a weak secondary eclipse are also detected. The phase of the latter suggests an eccentric orbit that, however, has yet to be confirmed. The Hα absorption line of the white dwarf contains a narrow emission core. Otherwise, the red spectrum is dominated by absorption structures of a very late (∼M6) main-sequence star. Eclipse simulations permit a unique solution for the orbital inclination and the component radii in units of their separation. This, in turn, leads to a self-consistent solution for the absolute values of numerous system parameters, the most important of which are the masses estimated by using theoretical and empirical mass-radius relationships (M₁ = 0.365 M_☉; M₂ = 0.089 M_☉). A photometric parallax of 12 pc is derived. The future evolution of this precataclysmic binary is briefly discussed.