The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer has revealed a T8.5 brown dwarf (WISE J111838.70+312537.9) that exhibits common proper motion with a solar-neighborhood (8 pc) quadruple star system - Xi Ursae Majoris. The angular separation is 8.5 arc-min, and the projected physical separation is about 4000 AU. The sub-solar metallicity and low chromospheric activity of Xi UMa A argue that the system has an age of at least 2 Gyr. The infrared luminosity and color of the brown dwarf suggests the mass of this companion ranges between 14 and 38 Jupiter masses for system ages of 2 and 8 Gyr respectively.
We report on simultaneous $g$, $R_{rm c}$ and $I_{rm c}$ photometry of SU Ursae Majoris during 2011 December - 2012 February using OAO/MITSuME. Our photometry revealed that quiescence is divided into three types based on the magnitude and color. Quiescent light curves showed complicated profiles with various amplitudes and time scales. Although no superoutbursts were observed during our run, five normal outbursts occurred with intervals of 11 - 21 d. The shapes of the normal outbursts were characteristic of the outside-in type. During the rising phase of a normal outburst, the light curve showed periodic modulations with a period of ${sim}$ 0.048111(354) d, but the origin of this peirod was unclear. We examined daily averaged color-color diagram and found that two cycles exist. This implies that the thermal limit cycle in SU UMa is complicated. We newly discovered that $g-R_{rm c}$ becomes red about 3 days prior to an outburst. Although the working mechanism on this reddening is unclear, we propose two possibilities: one is that the inner portion of the accretion disk is filled by matter and obscures the central white dwarf, and the other is that the stagnation effect works in the outer region of the accretion disk.
We observed RZ LMi, which is renowned for the extremely (~19d) short supercycle and is a member of a small, unusual class of cataclysmic variables called ER UMa-type dwarf novae, in 2013 and 2016. In 2016, the supercycles of this object substantially lengthened in comparison to the previous measurements to 35, 32, 60d for three consecutive superoutbursts. We consider that the object virtually experienced a transition to the novalike state (permanent superhumper). This observed behavior extremely well reproduced the prediction of the thermal-tidal instability model. We detected a precursor in the 2016 superoutburst and detected growing (stage A) superhumps with a mean period of 0.0602(1)d in 2016 and in 2013. Combined with the period of superhumps immediately after the superoutburst, the mass ratio is not as small as in WZ Sge-type dwarf novae, having orbital periods similar to RZ LMi. By using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) two-dimensional power spectra, we detected possible negative superhumps with a period of 0.05710(1)d. We estimated the orbital period of 0.05792d, which suggests a mass ratio of 0.105(5). This relatively large mass ratio is even above ordinary SU UMa-type dwarf novae, and it is also possible that the exceptionally high mass-transfer rate in RZ LMi may be a result of a stripped core evolved secondary which are evolving toward an AM CVn-type object.
We report the results of a long campaign of time-series photometry on the nova-like variable UX Ursae Majoris during 2015. It spanned 150 nights, with ~1800 hours of coverage on 121 separate nights. The star was in its normal `high state near magnitude V=13, with slow waves in the light curve and eclipses every 4.72 hours. Remarkably, the star also showed a nearly sinusoidal signal with a full amplitude of 0.44 mag and a period of 3.680 +/- 0.007 d. We interpret this as the signature of a retrograde precession (wobble) of the accretion disc. The same period is manifest as a +/-33 s wobble in the timings of mid-eclipse, indicating that the discs centre of light moves with this period. The star also showed strong `negative superhumps at frequencies w_orb+N and 2w_orb+N, where w_orb and N are respectively the orbital and precession frequencies. It is possible that these powerful signals have been present, unsuspected, throughout the more than 60 years of previous photometric studies.
We report on time-resolved photometry during a 2012 January normaloutburst of SU UMa. The light curve shows hump-like modulations with a period of 0.07903(11) d, which coincides with the known superhump period of SU UMa during superoutbursts. We interpret this as superhump, based on the observed periodicity, profiles of the averaged light curve, and the $g-I_{rm c}$ variation during the normal outburst. This is the first case that superhumps are detected during an isolated normal outburst of SU UMa-type dwarf novae. The present result strongly suggests that the radius of the accretion disk already reaches the 3:1 resonance even in the midst of the supercycle.
We have measured an annual parallax of the Mira variable R~Ursae~Majoris (R~UMa) with the VLBI exploration for Radio Astronomy (VERA). From the monitoring VLBI observations spanning about two years, we detected H$_2$O maser spots in the LSR velocities ranges from 37 to 42 km,s$^{-1}$. We derived an annual parallax of 1.97$pm$0.05,mas, and it gives a corresponding distance of 508$pm$13,pc. The VLBI maps revealed 72 maser spots distributed in $sim$110 au area around an expected stellar position. Circumstellar kinematics of the maser spots were also revealed by subtracting a systemic motion in the Hipparcos catalog from proper motions of each maser spots derived from our VLBI observations. Infrared photometry is also conducted to measure a $K$ band apparent magnitude, and we obtained a mean magnitude of $m_K$ = 1.19$pm$0.02,mag. Using the trigonometric distance, the $m_K$ is converted to a $K$ band absolute magnitude of $M_K = -$7.34$pm$0.06,mag. This result gives a much more accurate absolute magnitude of R~UMa than previously provided. We solved a zero-point of $M_K - log P$ relation for the Galactic Mira variables and obtained a relation of $M_K = -$3.52 $log P$ + (1.09 $pm$ 0.14). Other long period variables including red supergiants, whose distances were determined from astrometric VLBI, were also compiled to explore the different sequences of $M_K - log P$ relation.