No Arabic abstract
We observed the 2012-2013 superoutburst of the newly identified transient SSS J122221.7-311523 and found that this object showed successive two superoutbursts. Superhumps grew in amplitude during the second superoutburst and showed a characteristic pattern of period change reflecting the growth of the superhump. Assuming that the periods of superhumps during the growing stage [0.07721(1) d] and post-superoutburst stage [0.07673(3) d], represent the dynamical precession rates at the radius of the 3:1 resonance and the radius immediately after the superoutburst, respectively, we found that this object has a very small mass ratio q=M2/M1 < 0.05. The possible orbital period from quiescent data suggests q=0.045, one of the smallest among hydrogen-rich cataclysmic variables. The long orbital period and low q make this object a perfect candidate for a period bouncer. We suggest that the peculiar pattern of double superoutburst is a result of a low q and may be characteristic to period bouncers.
We report extensive 3-yr multiwavelength observations of the WZ Sge-type dwarf nova SSS J122221.7-311525 during its unusual double superoutburst, the following decline and in quiescence. The second segment of the superoutburst had a long duration of 33 d and a very gentle decline with a rate of 0.02 mag/d, and it displayed an extended post-outburst decline lasting at least 500 d. Simultaneously with the start of the rapid fading from the superoutburst plateau, the system showed the appearance of a strong near-infrared excess resulting in very red colours, which reached extreme values (B-I~1.4) about 20 d later. The colours then became bluer again, but it took at least 250 d to acquire a stable level. Superhumps were clearly visible in the light curve from our very first time-resolved observations until at least 420 d after the rapid fading from the superoutburst. The spectroscopic and photometric data revealed an orbital period of 109.80 min and a fractional superhump period excess <0.8 per cent, indicating a very low mass ratio q<0.045. With such a small mass ratio the donor mass should be below the hydrogen-burning minimum mass limit. The observed infrared flux in quiescence is indeed much lower than is expected from a cataclysmic variable with a near-main-sequence donor star. This strongly suggests a brown-dwarf-like nature for the donor and that SSS J122221.7-311525 has already evolved away from the period minimum towards longer periods, with the donor now extremely dim.
We report the discovery of a rare close binary system, SMSS J160639.78-100010.7, comprised of a magnetic white dwarf with a field of about 30 MG and a brown dwarf. We measured an orbital period of 92 min which is consistent with the photometric period. Minimum and maximum light occur at the orbital quadratures Phi=0.25 and 0.75, respectively, and cannot be caused by reflection on the brown dwarf, but, instead, by a spot on the synchronously rotating magnetic white dwarf. The brown dwarf does not fill its Roche lobe and the system may be in a low-accretion state or, more likely, in a detached state following episodes of mass transfer. SMSS J160639.78-100010.7 is the nearest known magnetic white dwarf plus brown dwarf system.
[Abridged] We present more than 4 years of Swift X-ray observations of the 2013 superoutburst, subsequent decline and quiescence of the WZ Sge-type dwarf nova SSS J122221.7-311525 (SSS122222) from 6 days after discovery. Only a handful of WZ Sge-type dwarf novae have been observed in X-rays, and until recently GW Lib was the only binary of this type with complete coverage of an X-ray light curve throughout a superoutburst. We collected extensive X-ray data of a second such system to understand the extent to which the unexpected properties of GW Lib are common to the WZ Sge class. We analysed the X-ray light curve and compared it with the behaviour of superhumps which were detected in the optical light curve. We also performed spectral analysis of the data. The results were compared with the properties of GW Lib, for which new X-ray observations were also obtained. SSS122222 was variable and around five times brighter in 0.3-10 keV X-rays during the superoutburst than in quiescence, mainly because of a significant strengthening of a high-energy component of the X-ray spectrum. The post-outburst decline of the X-ray flux lasted at least 500 d. The data show no evidence of the expected optically thick boundary layer in the system during the outburst. SSS122222 also exhibited a sudden X-ray flux change in the middle of the superoutburst, which occurred exactly at the time of the superhump stage transition. A similar X-ray behaviour was also detected in GW Lib. This result demonstrates a relationship between the outer disc and the white dwarf boundary layer for the first time, and suggests that models for accretion discs in high mass ratio accreting binaries are currently incomplete. The very long decline to X-ray quiescence is also in strong contrast to the expectation of low viscosity in the disc after outburst.
We report on photometric observations of two dwarf novae, OT J075418.7+381225 and OT J230425.8+062546, which underwent superoutburst in 2013 (OT J075418) and in 2011 (OT J230425). Their mean period of the superhump was 0.0722403(26) d (OT J074518) and 0.067317(35) d (OT J230425). These objects showed a very long growing stage of the superhump (stage A) and a large period decrease in stage A-B transition. The long stage A suggests slow evolution of the superhump due to very small mass ratios of these objects. The decline rates during the plateau phase in the superoutburst of these objects were lower than those of SU UMa-type DNe with a similar superhump period. These properties were similar to those of SSS J122221.7-311523, the best candidate for the period bouncer. Therefore, these two DNe are regarded as good candidates for the period bouncer. We estimated the number density of period bouncers roughly from our observations in the recent five years. There is a possibility that these WZ Sge-type dwarf novae with unusual outburst properties can account for the missing population of the period bouncer expected from the evolutionary scenario.
We examine the relationship between superoutburst duration $t_{rm dur}$ and orbital period $P_{rm orb}$ in AM CVn ultra-compact binary systems. We show that the previously determined steep relation derived by Levitan et al (2015) was strongly influenced by the inclusion of upper limits for systems with a relatively long orbital period in their fit. Excluding the upper limit values and including $t_{rm dur}$ values for three systems at long $P_{rm orb}$ which were not considered previously, then $d log (t_{rm dur})/ d log (P_{rm orb})$ is flat as predicted by Cannizzo & Nelemans(2015)