2003ApJ...587..685F

We have determined the fundamental properties and distance of a fourth eclipsing binary (EB) system in the Large Magellanic Cloud, HV 5936 (∼B0.5 V + ∼B2 III). As in our previous studies, we combine ``classical'' EB light-curve and radial velocity curve analyses with modeling of the UV/optical spectral energy distribution of HV 5936 to produce a detailed characterization of the system. In this paper, we also include an analysis of the high-resolution optical absorption line spectra of the binary components. We find HV 5936 to be an Algol-class system, in which the masses of the primary and secondary stars have evolved via mass transfer to their current values of 11.6 and 4.7 M<sub>☉</sub>, respectively. The properties of the primary star are indistinguishable from those of a ``normal'' star of the same current mass. The secondary is found to be overluminous for its current mass and exhibits a factor of 2 enhancement in its surface He abundance. These results are compatible with case A mass exchange occurring during the core hydrogen-burning phase of the current secondary. The distance derived to the system, 43.2±1.8 kpc, implies a distance of ∼44.3 kpc to the optical center of the LMC. This is several kiloparsecs closer than found in our analyses of other systems, and we suggest that HV 5936 lies ``above'' the LMC disk. This is supported by the very low interstellar H I column density and low E(B-V) found for the system–both of which are consistent with expected Milky Way foreground material–and may be associated with HV 5936's location near the LMC supergiant shell LMC 4.