No Arabic abstract
We present spectroscopy of stars in the immediate vicinity of the dwarf nova (DN) KZ Gem to confirm its identification, which had been ambiguous in the literature. Analysis of 73 radial velocities spanning from 2014 to 2019 provides a high-precision orbital period of 0.2224628(2),d ($sim5.34$,hr) and shows KZ,Gem to be a double-lined DN. Time series photometry taken from 2016 to 2018 shows a variable double-hump modulation with a full amplitude of $sim0.3$,mag, along with five Gaussian-like transient events lasting $sim30$,min or more. Using the light curve code XRBinary and nonlinear fitting code NMfit, we obtain an optimized binary model of the dwarf nova (DN) KZ Gem, from time series photometry, consisting of a Roche-lobe-filling K type dwarf with a mass transfer rate of $2.7,-,7.9times10^{-10},{rm M}_{odot},{rm yr}^{-1}$ to a large, cool and thick disk surrounding a white dwarf, in an orbit with an inclination of $51^{circ}.6(pm1^{circ}.4)$. Two hotspots on the disk are demonstrated to cause the observed variations in the ellipsoidal modulations from the secondary star. This physical model is compatible with the Gaia distance of KZ,Gem.
We report observations of the flickering variability of the dwarf nova RX And in five bands (UBVRI) on two nights. On 25 October 2019 the brightness of the star was $Bapprox 13.9$ mag, the amplitude of the flickering was 0.47 mag, and we estimate for the flickering source temperature $T_{fl} = 10700 pm 400$ K, and radius $R_{fl} =0.046 pm 0.004$ $R_odot$. On 2 January 2020, the star was about 3 magnitudes brighter ($B approx 10.7$), the amplitude of the flickering was significantly lower (0.07 mag) and we derive for the flickering source $T_{fl} = 9600 pm 700$ K, and radius $R_{fl} = 0.098 pm 0.009$ $R_odot$. The results indicate that 3 magnitudes brightening of the star doubled the radius of the flickering source. The data are available upon request from the authors.
The All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN) reported a possible Galactic dwarf nova ASASSN-18fs on 2018 March 19 at $sim$13.2 mag in the V band, with a quiescent magnitude of V$>$17.6. Here we report on the follow-up photometry using the {it Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory}.
We present the ground-based activities within the different working groups of the Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium (KASC). The activities aim at the systematic characterization of the 5000+ KASC targets, and at the collection of ground-based follow-up time-series data of selected promising Kepler pulsators. So far, 36 different instruments at 31 telescopes on 23 different observatories in 12 countries are in use, and a total of more than 530 observing nights has been awarded. (Based on observations made with the Isaac Newton Telescope, William Herschel Telescope, Nordic Optical Telescope, Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, Mercator Telescope (La Palma, Spain), and IAC-80 (Tenerife, Spain). Also based on observations taken at the observatories of Sierra Nevada, San Pedro Martir, Vienna, Xinglong, Apache Point, Lulin, Tautenburg, Loiano, Serra la Nave, Asiago, McDonald, Skinakas, Pic du Midi, Mauna Kea, Steward Observatory, Mt Wilson, Bialkow Observatory of the Wroclaw University, Piszkesteto Mountain Station, Observatoire de Haute Provence, and Centro Astronomico Hispano Aleman at Calar Alto. Based on data from the AAVSO International Database.)
We report on X-ray observations of the Dwarf Nova GK Persei performed by {it NuSTAR} in 2015. GK Persei, behaving also as an Intermediate Polar, exhibited a Dwarf Nova outburst in 2015 March--April. The object was observed with {sl NuSTAR} during the outburst state, and again in a quiescent state wherein the 15--50 keV flux was 33 times lower. Using a multi-temperature plasma emission and reflection model, the highest plasma temperature in the accretion column was measured as $19.7^{+1.3}_{-1.0}$~keV in outburst and $36.2^{+3.5}_{-3.2}$~keV in quiescence. The significant change of the maximum temperature is considered to reflect an accretion-induced decrease of the inner-disk radius $R_{rm in}$, where accreting gas is captured by the magnetosphere. Assuming this radius scales as $R_{rm in} propto dot{M}^{-2/7}$ where $dot{M}$ is the mass accretion rate, we obtain $R_{rm in} = 1.9 ^{+0.4}_{-0.2}~R_{rm WD}$ and $R_{rm in} = 7.4^{+2.1}_{-1.2}~R_{rm WD}$ in outburst and quiescence respectively, where $R_{rm WD}$ is the white-dwarf radius of this system. Utilising the measured temperatures and fluxes, as well as the standard mass-radius relation of white dwarfs, we estimate the white-dwarf mass as $M_{rm WD} = 0.87~pm~0.08~M_{rm odot}$ including typical systematic uncertainties by 7%. The surface magnetic field is also measured as $B sim 5 times 10^{5}$~G. These results exemplify a new X-ray method of estimating $M_{rm WD}$ and $B$ of white dwarfs by using large changes in $dot{M}$.
We carried out an international spectroscopic observation campaign of the dwarf nova GW Librae (GW Lib) during the 2007 superoutburst. Our observation period covered the rising phase of the superoutburst, maximum, slowly decaying phase (plateau), and long fading tail after the rapid decline from the plateau. The spectral features dramatically changed during the observations. In the rising phase, only absorption lines of H$alpha$, H$beta$, and H$gamma$ were present. Around the maximum, the spectrum showed singly-peaked emission lines of H$alpha$, He I 5876, He I 6678, He II 4686, and C III/N III as well as absorption lines of Balmer components and He I. These emission lines significantly weakened in the latter part of the plateau phase. In the fading tail, all the Balmer lines and He I 6678 were in emission, as observed in quiescence. We find that the center of the H$alpha$ emission component was mostly stable over the whole orbital phase, being consistent with the low inclination of the system. Comparing with the observational results of WZ Sge during the 2001 superoutburst, the same type of stars as GW Lib seen with a high inclination angle, we interpret that the change of the H$alpha$ profile before the fading tail phase is attributed to a photoionized region formed at the outer edge of the accretion disk, irradiated from the white dwarf and inner disk.