  A model of the TU Muscae binary system has been developed by a study of 23
SWP spectrophotometric images obtained with the IUE satellite telescope and
downloaded from the IUE Archive. The images are well distributed in Keplerian
orbital phase thereby permitting a simultaneous fitting of the C IV wind-line
profile by the SEI method and the light curve for the same bandpass by means of
a program similar to that of Wilson and Devinney. The result is a set of
parameters characterizing the physical and geometric properties of the wind
envelopes surrounding the stars.
  Surprisingly, there is no evidence for a P Cygni profile or strong,
distinguishable shock front in the system, as has been found for similar
investigations of EM Carinae and HD159176. This is probably a result of the
contact nature of the binary and the high temperature environment of such a
shock. That is, most of the carbon ions in the shock are more highly ionized.
Based on the parameters for the SEI fit to the C IV profile, the value for the
ionization fraction of C IV in the wind was calculated to be 10-4. With this
value, the mass loss rate calculated from two independent equations, was found
to be about 10-6 solar masses/yr. The line blanketing or metallicity was found
to be erratically variable with orbital phase and time, indicating a variable
amount of fast moving, dense clouds in the winds and/or a great amount of
turbulence. The meaning of rotational velocities for the stars is problematic
and depends on what point on the photospheres one is considering.
