New techniques of light curve analysis: Application to V444 Cygni

A new method of light curve analysis is introduced for systems containing one component possessing an extended atmosphere. Occultation or partial eclipses may be treated with or without the presence of transparency effects. Besides admitting an arbitrary degree of transparency to the eclipsing component, an arbitrary law of limb-darkening may also be assigned to the eclipsed star. The method is applied to the analysis of continuum, narrow band light curves of V444 Cygni obtained by Cherepashchuk and Khaliullin. Primary and secondary minima are examined separately with reasonable results. (orig.)