We report new and archival K-band interferometric uniform disk diameters
obtained with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer for the eclipsing binary star
ϵ Aurigae, in advance of the start of its eclipse in 2009. The
observations were inteded to test whether low amplitude variations in the
system are connected with the F supergiant star (primary), or with the
intersystem material connecting the star with the enormous dark disk
(secondary) inferred to cause the eclipses. Cepheid-like radial pulsations of
the F star are not detected, nor do we find evidence for proposed 6% per decade
shrinkage of the F star. The measured 2.27 +/- 0.11 milli-arcsecond K band
diameter is consistent with a 300 times solar radius F supergiant star at the
Hipparcos distance of 625 pc. These results provide an improved context for
observations during the 2009-2011 eclipse.Comment: Accepted for Ap.J. Letters, Oct. 200