• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2015

The orbital period changes of the W UMa eclipsing binary AU Ser are studied using the (O-C) method. We conclude that the period variation is due to mass transfer from the primary star to the secondary one at a very low and decreasing rate $dP/dt=-8.872{\times}10^{-8}$, superimposed on the sinusoidal variation due to a third body orbiting the binary with period $42.87{\pm}3.16$ years, orbital eccentricity $e=0.52{\pm}0.12$ and a longitude of periastron passage ${\omega}=133^{\circ}.7{\pm}15$. On studying the magnetic activity, we have concluded that the Applegate mechanism failed to describe the cycling variation of the (O-C) diagram of AU Ser.