No Arabic abstract
We have observed a new cataclysmic variable (CV) SDSS J080434.20+510349.2 and study the origin of a long-term variability found in its light curve. Multi-longitude time-resolved photometric observations were carried out to analyze the uncommon behavior also found recently in two newly discovered CVs. This study of SDSS J080434.20+510349.2 mainly concerns the understanding of the nature of the observed double-humped light curve and its relation to a cyclic brightening occurring during quiescence. The observations were obtained early in 2007, when the object was at about V~17.1, 0.4 mag brighter than the pre-outburst magnitude. The light curve shows a sinusoidal variability with an amplitude of about 0.07 mag and a periodicity of 42.48 min, which is half of the orbital period of the system. In addition, we have observed two mini-outbursts of the system up to 0.6 mag, with a duration of about 4 days each. The mini-outburst had a symmetric profile and repeated in about 32 days. Subsequent monitoring of the system shows a cyclical behaviour of such mini-outbursts with a similar recurrence period. The origin of the double-humped light curve and the periodic brightening is discussed in the light of the evolutionary state of SDSS J080434.20+510349.2.
We present the results of photometric observations of SDSS J080434.20+510349.2 in its low state and during an outburst and spectroscopy during the outburst. We found such peculiarities as a long-term outburst with amplitude probably not less than 6m, rarity of the outbursts, eleven rebrightenings, and a short (0.059713(7) d) superhump period. We conclude that this star belongs to the WZ Sge-type subclass of cataclysmic variables. The spectrum shows both emission and absorption lines of H and He superimposed on the blue continuum. We also found 8 -- 9 min. brightness variations during the end of the super-outburst plateau that could be related to pulsations of the white dwarf in the binary.
We present the photometric results of the eclipsing cataclysmic variable (CV) WZ Sge near the period minimum ($P_{min}$). Eight new mid-eclipse times were determined and the orbital ephemeris was updated. Our result shows that the orbital period of WZ Sge is decreasing at a rate of $dot{P}=-2.72(pm0.23)times{10^{-13}},s s^{-1}$. This secular decrease, coupled with previous detection of its donor, suggest that WZ Sge is a pre-bounce system. Further analysis indicates that the observed period decrease rate is about $1.53$ times higher than pure gravitational radiation (GR) driving. We constructed the evolutionary track of WZ Sge, which predicts that $P_{min}$ of WZ Sge is $sim77.98 (pm0.90)$ min. If the orbital period decreases at the current rate, WZ Sge will evolve past its $P_{min}$ after $sim25.3$ Myr. Based on the period evolution equation we find $dot{M}_{2}simeq4.04(pm0.10)times10^{-11}M_{odot}yr^{-1}$, which is compatible with the current concept of CV evolution at ultrashort orbital periods.
We present phase-resolved spectroscopy of the short period cataclysmic variable WZ Sge obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. We were able to resolve the orbital motion of a number of absorption lines that likely probe the environment near the accreting white dwarf. The radial velocities derived from simultaneous fits to 13 absorption lines indicate an orbital velocity semi-amplitude of K_UV = 47 +/- 3 km/s. However, we find that the phase zero is offset from the white dwarf ephemeris by +0.1. Our offset and velocity amplitude are very similar to constraints derived from optical emission lines from the quiescent accretion disk, despite the fact that we are probing material much closer to the primary. If we associate the UV amplitude with K_1, our dynamical constraints together with the K_2 estimates from Steeghs et al. (2001) and the known binary inclination of i=77+/-2 imply 0.88<M_1<1.53 M_sun, 0.078 < M_2 < 0.13 M_sun and 0.075<q=M_2/M_1<0.101. If we interpret the mean velocity of the UV lines (-16+/-4 km/s) as being due to the gravitational red-shift caused in the high-g environment near the white dwarf, we find v_grav=56+/-5 km/s which provides an independent estimate on the mass of the primary of M_1=0.85+/-0.04 M_sun when coupled with a mass-radius relation. Our primary mass estimates are in excellent agreement and are also self-consistent with spectrophotometric fits to the UV fluxes despite the observed phase offset. It is at this point unclear what causes the observed phase-offset in the UV spectra and by how much it distorts the radial velocity signature from the underlying white dwarf.
We report on a superoutburst of a WZ Sge-type dwarf nova (DN), ASASSN-15po. The light curve showed the main superoutburst and multiple rebrightenings. In this outburst, we observed early superhumps and growing (stage A) superhumps with periods of 0.050454(2) and 0.051809(13) d, respectively. We estimated that the mass ratio of secondary to primary ($q$) is 0.0699(8) by using $P_{rm orb}$ and a superhump period $P_{rm SH}$ of stage A. ASASSN-15po [$P_{rm orb} sim$ 72.6 min] is the first DN with the orbital period between 67--76 min. Although the theoretical predicted period minimum $P_{rm min}$ of hydrogen-rich cataclysmic variables (CVs) is about 65--70 min, the observational cut-off of the orbital period distribution at 80 min implies that the period minimum is about 82 min, and the value is widely accepted. We suggest the following four possibilities: the object is (1) a theoretical period minimum object (2) a binary with a evolved secondary (3) a binary with a metal-poor (Popullation II) seconday (4) a binary which was born with a brown-dwarf donor below the period minimum.
We report on our photometric observations of the 2016 superoutburst of ASASSN-16eg. This object showed a WZ Sge-type superoutburst with prominent early superhumps with a period of 0.075478(8) d and a post-superoutburst rebrightening. During the superoutburst plateau, it showed ordinary superhumps with a period of 0.077880(3) d and a period derivative of 10.6(1.1) $times$ 10$^{-5}$ in stage B. The orbital period ($P_{rm orb}$), which is almost identical with the period of early superhumps, is exceptionally long for a WZ Sge-type dwarf nova. The mass ratio ($q$ = $M_2/M_1$) estimated from the period of developing (stage A) superhumps is 0.166(2), which is also very large for a WZ Sge-type dwarf nova. This suggests that the 2:1 resonance can be reached in such high-$q$ systems, contrary to our expectation. Such conditions are considered to be achieved if the mass-transfer rate is much lower than those in typical SU UMa-type dwarf novae that have comparable orbital periods to ASASSN-16eg and a resultant accumulation of a large amount of matter on the disk is realized at the onset of an outburst. We examined other candidates of long-period WZ Sge-type dwarf novae for their supercycles, which are considered to reflect the mass-transfer rate, and found that V1251 Cyg and RZ Leo have longer supercycles than those of other WZ Sge-type dwarf novae. This result indicates that these long-period objects including ASASSN-16eg have a low mass-transfer rate in comparison to other WZ Sge-type dwarf novae.