Long-term starspot activity of short-period RS Canum Venaticorum stars. III - BH Virginis

The photometric distortion waves in the light curves of the short-period RS CVn system BH Vir by a dark, circular spot model for the active regions on the primary star is parameterized. Recent observations and archival sources are used to infer the positions and areas of the active regions. For light curves with simultaneous B and R or V and I data, the temperatures of the spotted regions relative to the photospheres can be evaluated. For BH Vir in 1986, T(spot) = 4900 + or - 500 K. The active regions tend to occur at high latitudes and at preferred longitudes near 90 and 270 deg. 32 refs