  We have derived new orbits for zeta Aur, 32 Cyg, and 31 Cyg with observations
from the TSU Automatic Spectroscopic Telescope and used them to identify
non-orbital velocities of the cool supergiant components of these systems. We
measure periods in those deviations, identify unexpected long-period changes in
the radial velocities, and place upper limits on the rotation of these stars.
These radial-velocity variations are not obviously consistent with radial
pulsation theory, given what we know about the masses and sizes of the
components. Our concurrent photometry detected the non-radial pulsations driven
by tides (ellipsoidal variation) in both zeta Aur and 32 Cyg, at a level and
phasing roughly consistent with simple theory to first order, although they
seem to require moderately large gravity darkening. However, the K component of
32 Cyg must be considerably bigger than expected, or have larger gravity
darkening than zeta Aur, to fit its amplitude. However, again there is precious
little evidence for the normal radial pulsation of cool stars in our
photometry. H-alpha shows some evidence for chromospheric heating by the B
component in both zeta Aur and 32 Cyg, and the three stars show among them a
meager ~ 2--3 outbursts in their winds of the sort seen occasionally in cool
supergiants. We point out two fundamental questions in the interpretation of
these stars, (1) whether it is appropriate to model the surface brightness as
gravity darkening and (2) whether much of the non-orbital velocity structure
may actually represent changes in the convective flows in the stars'
atmospheres.

Astrophysics