228 research outputs found
The first confirmed superoutburst of the dwarf nova GALEX J215818.5+241924
In 2011 October an optical transient was reported in Pegasus as a possible
nova. The object had an ultraviolet counterpart, GALEX J215818.5+241924. In
this paper we present follow-up photometry of the object which revealed the
presence of superhumps, with peak-to-peak amplitude of up to 0.22 magnitudes,
diagnostic of it being a member of the SU UMa family of dwarf novae. The
outburst amplitude was 4.6 magnitudes and it lasted at least 10 days, with a
maximum brightness of magnitude 14.3. We determined the mean superhump period
from our first 5 nights of observations as Psh = 0.06728(21) d. However
analysis of the O-C residuals showed a dramatic evolution in Psh during the
outburst. During the first part of the plateau phase the period increased with
dPsh/dt = +2.67(15) x 10-4. There was then an abrupt change following which the
period decreased with dPsh/dt = -2.08(9)x 10-4. We found a signal in the power
spectrum of the photometry which we tentatively interpret as the orbital signal
with Porb = 0.06606(35) d. Thus the superhump period excess was epsilon =
0.020(8), such value being consistent with other SU UMa systems of similar
orbital period.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Journal of the British Astronomical
Association. 10 pages, 3 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with
arXiv:1005.5378. Have corrected outburst amplitude, reworded the first 2
sentences of the Abstract for clarity and solved some typo
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