Spectroscopic observations of KU Cygni at H
(
) were obtained by Olson, Etzel & Dewey (1995) at Mount Laguna Observatory (MLO) during the 1989-1991 and 1993 observing seasons with the 40-inch Prairie telescope. This telescope was equipped with the Illinois Cassegrain spectrograph, which employed a 38 cm focal length Nikon camera lens, 831 lines/mm grating, and Texas Instruments 800 x 800 CCD, which was cooled with liquid nitrogen. The exposure times ranged from 900 - 1800 seconds. Sixty-six (66) spectra were obtained in first-order red with spectral coverage between 6400 and 6700 Å and dispersion of 
0.4 Å/pixel, which resulted in resolution of 1 Å. These spectra were used in this thesis.
The spectra of Olson et al. (1995) were reduced both at the University of Illinois (E.C. Olson) and San Diego State University (P.B. Etzel, M.C. Senay, and M.R. Dewey) with the Image Reduction Analysis Facility (IRAF), which is distributed by the National Optical Astronomical Observatories (NOAO). Each spectrum was wavelength calibrated and reduced to relative intensities. The spectra were later normalized to a continuum level of unity for use in Doppler tomography. These reduced spectra were affected by the earth's diurnal motion and annual motion around the sun, which needed to be subtracted, so that they would reflect only the motion of the binary system. Each spectral image was corrected to the Heliocentric frame of reference with the DOPCOR task of IRAF.
In the following analysis of the accretion disk in KU Cygni, the orbital motion of the disk around the primary star in the inertial frame of the system is required. Olson et al. (1995) solved for the systemic velocity of the KU Cygni from Heliocentric radial velocities for both primary (gainer) and secondary (loser) stars. Their systemic velocity of -13.1 km/sec, as calculated from the secondary star's radial velocity curve, was removed from each spectral image of KU Cygni. Therefore, the spectral features will reveal only the orbital motion of the system around the center of mass. Table 3.1 lists the spectral images obtained of KU Cygni at MLO. The cycle numbers of the observations were calculated using Olson's 1980 ephemeris, as stated in Eqn. 2.5. These spectra will be briefly described below within the basic model of an accretion disk.
| Image | HJD - | Orbital | Cycle |  |
 |
| Number | 240000 | Phase | Number | (km/sec) | (km/sec) |
| 1989 Observing Season | |||||
| 1061 | 7695.7755 | 0.29035 | 359 | 129.9 | 178.1 |
| 1299 | 7718.8136 | 0.88968 | 359 | 163.9 | 170.1 |
| 1587 | 7728.6956 | 0.14676 | 360 | 142.9 | 161.1 |
| 2139 | 7776.7132 | 0.39593 | 361 | 154.9 | 155.1 |
| 2198 | 7777.7312 | 0.42242 | 361 | 164.9 | 157.1 |
| 1990 Observing Season | |||||
| 3327 | 8045.8555 | 0.39765 | 368 | 169.9 | 158.1 |
| 3418 | 8049.8415 | 0.50134 | 368 | 187.9 | 149.1 |
| 3459 | 8050.8411 | 0.52735 | 368 | 184.9 | 149.1 |
| 3642 | 8084.8513 | 0.41212 | 369 | 175.9 | 162.1 |
| 3714 | 8086.8125 | 0.46314 | 369 | 179.9 | 157.1 |
| 3812 | 8088.8715 | 0.51671 | 369 | 186.9 | 148.1 |
| 3876 | 8089.7976 | 0.54080 | 369 | 178.9 | 149.1 |
| 4326 | 8143.6451 | 0.94164 | 370 | 199.1 | |
| 4327 | 8143.6635 | 0.94212 | 370 | 195.1 | |
| 4332 | 8144.7795 | 0.97115 | 370 | ||
| 4354 | 8145.7406 | 0.99615 | 370 | ||
| 4386 | 8147.7447 | 0.04829 | 371 | 164.9 | |
| 4421 | 8148.7308 | 0.07394 | 371 | 147.9 | |
| 4471 | 8150.6808 | 0.12467 | 371 | ||
| 1991 Observing Season | |||||
| 5929 | 8448.7668 | 0.87935 | 378 | 167.9 | 181.1 |
| 5961 | 8448.9554 | 0.88426 | 378 | 177.9 | 169.1 |
| 6005 | 8449.7507 | 0.90495 | 378 | 167.9 | 182.1 |
| 6037 | 8450.7125 | 0.92997 | 378 | 189.1 | |
| 6075 | 8450.9403 | 0.93590 | 378 | 170.1 | |
| 6111 | 8451.7166 | 0.95609 | 378 | 193.1 | |
| 6141 | 8451.9305 | 0.96166 | 378 | ||
| 6187 | 8452.7229 | 0.98227 | 378 | ||
| 6242 | 8453.7167 | 0.00812 | 379 | ||
| 6270 | 8453.9049 | 0.01302 | 379 | ||
| 6273 | 8453.9313 | 0.01371 | 379 | ||
| 6274 | 8453.9541 | 0.01430 | 379 | ||
| 6282 | 8454.6910 | 0.03347 | 379 | ||
| 6298 | 8454.7778 | 0.03573 | 379 | ||
| 6314 | 8454.8750 | 0.03826 | 379 | ||
| Image | HJD - | Orbital | Cycle | |
|
| Number | 240000 | Phase | Number | (km/sec) | (km/sec) |
| 1991 Observing Season (con't) | |||||
| 6349 | 8455.7098 | 0.05997 | 379 | 161.9 | |
| 6376 | 8455.9299 | 0.06570 | 379 | 163.9 | |
| 6396 | 8456.7022 | 0.08579 | 379 | 145.9 | |
| 6423 | 8456.9306 | 0.09173 | 379 | 163.9 | |
| 6448 | 8457.8077 | 0.11455 | 379 | 144.9 | 157.1 |
| 6472 | 8458.6855 | 0.13739 | 379 | ||
| 6528 | 8459.7911 | 0.16615 | 379 | 132.9 | 149.1 |
| 6565 | 8460.7467 | 0.19101 | 379 | 137.9 | 151.1 |
| 6609 | 8461.7891 | 0.21813 | 379 | 140.9 | 158.1 |
| 6661 | 8469.8121 | 0.42684 | 379 | 159.9 | 159.1 |
| 6693 | 8470.8732 | 0.45445 | 399 | 167.9 | 150.1 |
| 1993 Observing Season | |||||
| 9850 | 9222.9112 | 0.01866 | 399 | ||
| 9902 | 9223.8206 | 0.04231 | 399 | 156.9 | |
| 9952 | 9224.8130 | 0.06813 | 399 | 157.9 | |
| 10028 | 9228.8671 | 0.17360 | 399 | 140.9 | 136.1 |
| 10076 | 9229.7893 | 0.19759 | 399 | 142.9 | 141.1 |
| 10096 | 9230.8522 | 0.22524 | 399 | 137.9 | 159.1 |
| 10124 | 9231.7407 | 0.24835 | 399 | 138.9 | 166.1 |
| 10156 | 9232.7601 | 0.27487 | 399 | 148.9 | 168.1 |
| 10176 | 9262.8352 | 0.05728 | 400 | 159.9 | |
| 10212 | 9263.6491 | 0.07845 | 400 | 142.9 | |
| 10264 | 9264.8012 | 0.10842 | 400 | 147.9 | 150.1 |
| 10292 | 9286.6330 | 0.67637 | 400 | 145.9 | 154.1 |
| 10312 | 9287.6142 | 0.70190 | 400 | 138.9 | 145.1 |
| 10336 | 9288.6941 | 0.72999 | 400 | 145.9 | 145.1 |
| 10368 | 9289.6058 | 0.75371 | 400 | 133.9 | 146.1 |
| 10376 | 9290.5898 | 0.77931 | 400 | 131.9 | 152.1 |
| 10428 | 9291.5905 | 0.80534 | 400 | 159.9 | 148.1 |
| 10448 | 9292.5856 | 0.83123 | 400 | 156.9 | 157.1 |
| 10496 | 9293.5869 | 0.85728 | 400 | 155.9 | 164.1 |
| 10520 | 9294.5848 | 0.88324 | 400 | 163.9 | 171.1 |
| 10540 | 9295.6258 | 0.91032 | 400 | 175.1 | |