Variable stars in the globular cluster NGC 3201. I. Multimode SX Phe-type variables

We report on the discovery of eleven multimode SX Phoenicis--type blue stragglers in the field of the southern globular cluster NGC 3201. In these variables both radial and non-radial modes are excited. For three variables the derived period ratio is close to that observed in SX Phoenicis itself, suggesting that these stars are pulsating in the fundamental and the first-overtone radial modes. Using the McNamara (1997) period-luminosity relation we have estimated the apparent distance modulus to NGC 3201 to be 14.08$\pm0.06\pm0.1$mag.Comment: 10 pages, requires mn2e.cls,contact the first author at [email protected] for high-resolution figure

Photometric study of the variable star population in the globular cluster NGC 6397

We present the results of a photometric survey for variable stars in the central region of the nearby globular cluster NGC 6397.Time series photometry was obtained for 30 variable objects. The sample includes 12 new objects, of which 6 show periodic lightcurves and 2 are eclipsing binaries of unknown period. Six variables possess certain and three possess likely X-ray counterparts detected with the Chandra observatory. Among them four are cataclysmic variables and one is a foreground eclipsing binary. The cataclysmic variable CV2 exhibited a likely dwarf nova type outburst in May 2003. The cataclysmic variable CV3 was observed at 18.5<V<20.0 during 5 observing runs, but went into a low state in May 2003 when it reached V>22. We have found that thelight curve of the optical companion to the millisecond pulsar PSRJ1740-5340 exhibits noticeable changes of its amplitude on a time scale of a few months. A shallow eclipse with Delta_V=0.03 mag was detected in one of the cluster turnoff stars suggesting the presence of a large planet or brown dwarf in orbit.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, submitted to MNRAS on 21 April 200