IUE Spectroscopy of the Extraordinary Interacting Binary R Arae

We propose to use IUE to further investigate the highly peculiar close binary R Arae. IUE and ANS survey observations of R Arae have shown that it undergoes outside-of-eclipse ultraviolet flux variations up to a factor of two or more. A number of P Cygni lines with variable emission are present and a gas stream with a velocity of about 450 km s^-1 with respect to the primary component was detected. The system is also an x-ray source with an x-ray luminosity of 10 31-33 erg s^-1. R Arae is certainly in an interesting stage of evolution; probably at the beginning of the first stage of rapid mass transfer. We propose to study R Arae with IUE for 24 hours spread over five consecutive days.