1,448 research outputs found
Predicting the Future of Superhumps in Classical Nova Systems
Oscillations observed in the light curve of Nova V1974 Cygni 1992 since
summer 1994 have been interpreted as permanent superhumps. From simple
calculations based on the Tidal-Disk Instability model of Osaki, and assuming
that the accretion disc is the dominant optical source in the binary system, we
predict that the nova will evolve to become an SU UMa system as its brightness
declines from its present luminosity by another 2-3 magnitudes. Linear
extrapolation of its current rate of fading (in magnitude units) puts the time
of this phase transition within the next 2-4 years. Alternatively, the
brightness decline will stop before the nova reaches that level, and the system
will continue to show permanent superhumps in its light curve. It will then be
similar to two other old novae, V603 Aql and CP Pup, that still display the
permanent superhumps phenomenon 79 and 55 years, respectively, after their
eruptions. We suggest that non-magnetic novae with short orbital periods could
be progenitors of permanent superhump systems.Comment: 5 pages, 2 eps. figures, Latex, accepted for publication in MNRA
Nova V1425 Aquilae 1995 - The Early Appearance of Accretion Processes in An Intermediate Polar Candidate
Continuous CCD photometry of Nova Aquilae 1995 was performed through the
standard B,V,R and I filters during three nights in 1995 and with the I filter
during 18 nights in 1996. The power spectrum of the 1996 data reveals three
periodicities in the light curve: 0.2558 d, 0.06005 d and 0.079 d, with
peak-to-peak amplitudes of about 0.012, 0.014 and 0.007 mag. respectively.
The two shorter periods are absent from the power spectrum of the 1995 light
curve, while the long one is probably already present in the light curve of
that year.
We propose that V1425 Aql should be classified as an Intermediate - Polar CV.
Accordingly the three periods are interpreted as the orbital period of the
underlying binary system, the spin period of the magnetic white dwarf and the
beat period between them. Our results suggest that no later than 15 months
after the outburst of the nova, accretion processes are taking place in this
stellar system. Matter is being transferred from the cool component, most
likely through an accretion disc and via accretion columns on to the magnetic
poles of the hot component.Comment: 7 pages, 4 eps. figures, Latex, accepted for publication in MNRA
A New Interpretation for the Second Peak of T Coronae Borealis Outbursts: A Tilting Disk around a Very Massive White Dwarf
A new interpretation for the second peak of T Coronae Borealis (T CrB)
outbursts is proposed based on a thermonuclear runaway (TNR) model. The system
consists of a very massive white dwarf (WD) with a tilting accretion disk and a
lobe-filling red-giant. The first peak of the visual light curve of T CrB
outbursts is well reproduced by the TNR model on a WD close to the
Chandrasekhar mass (), while the second peak
is reproduced by the combination of the irradiated M-giant and the irradiated
tilting disk. The derived fitting parameters are the WD mass , the M-giant companion mass
( is acceptable), the inclination angle of the orbit i \sim
70 \arcdeg, and the tilting angle of the disk i_{\rm prec} \sim 35 \arcdeg.
These parameters are consistent with the recently derived binary parameters of
T CrB.Comment: 6 pages including 2 figures, to be published in ApJ Letter
Asteroseismological Observations of the Central Star of the Planetary Nebula NGC 1501
We report on a global CCD time-series photometric campaign to decode the
pulsations of the nucleus of the planetary nebula NGC1501. The star is hot and
hydrogen-deficient, similar to the pre-white-dwarf PG 1159 stars. NGC1501 shows
pulsational brightness variations of a few percent with periods ranging from 19
to 87 minutes. The variations are very complex, suggesting a pulsation spectrum
that requires a long unbroken time series to resolve. Our CCD photometry of the
star covers a two-week period in 1991 November, and used a global network of
observatories. We obtained nearly continuous coverage over an interval of one
week in the middle of the run. We have identified 10 pulsation periods, ranging
from 5235 s down to 1154 s. We find strong evidence that the modes are indeed
nonradial g-modes. The ratios of the frequencies of the largest-amplitude modes
agree with those expected for modes that are trapped by a density discontinuity
in the outer layers. We offer a model for the pulsation spectrum that includes
a common period spacing of 22.3 s and a rotation period of 1.17 days; the
period spacing allows us to assign a seismological mass of 0.55+/-0.03 Msun.Comment: 12 pages, AASTEX, 7 tables, 6 EPS figures, to appear in AJ, 12/96
Corrected version repairs table formatting and adds missing Table
U Sco 2010 outburst: a new understanding of the binary accretion disk and the secondary star
We present optical and NIR spectroscopic observations of U Sco 2010 outburst.
From the analysis of lines profiles we identify a broad and a narrow component
and show that the latter originates from the reforming accretion disk. We show
that the accretion resumes shortly after the outburst, on day +8, roughly when
the super-soft (SSS) X-ray phase starts. Consequently U Sco SSS phase is fueled
(in part or fully) by accretion and should not be used to estimate
, the mass of accreted material which has not been ejected
during the outburst. In addition, most of the He emission lines, and the HeII
lies in particular, form in the accretion flow/disk within the binary and are
optically thick, thus preventing an accurate abundance determination.
A late spectrum taken in quiescence and during eclipse shows CaII H&K, the
G-band and MgI b absorption from the secondary star. However, no other
significant secondary star features have been observed at longer wavelengths
and in the NIR band.Comment: Accepted for publication on A&A. 12 pages and 12 figures (a few are
multiple figures
Deep infrared observations of the puzzling central X-ray source in RCW103
1E 161348-5055 (1E 1613) is a point-like, soft X-ray source originally
identified as a radio-quiet, isolated neutron star, shining at the center of
the 2000 yr old supernova remnant RCW103. 1E 1613 features a puzzling 6.67 hour
periodicity as well as a dramatic variability over a time scale of few years.
Such a temporal behavior, coupled to the young age and to the lack of an
obvious optical counterpart, makes 1E 1613 a unique source among all compact
objects associated to SNRs. It could either be the first low-mass X-ray binary
system discovered inside a SNR, or a peculiar isolated magnetar with an
extremely slow spin period. Analysis of archival IR observations, performed in
2001 with the VLT/ISAAC instrument, and in 2002 with the NICMOS camera onboard
HST unveils a very crowded field. A few sources are positionally consistent
with the refined X-ray error region that we derived from the analysis of 13
Chandra observations. To shed light on the nature of 1E 1613, we have performed
deep IR observations of the field with the NACO instrument at the ESO/VLT,
searching for variability. We find no compelling reasons to associate any of
the candidates to 1E 1613. On one side, within the frame of the binary system
model for the X-ray source, it is very unlikely that one of the candidates be a
low-mass companion star to 1E 1613. On the other side, if the X-ray source is
an isolated magnetar surrounded by a fallback disc, we cannot exclude that the
IR counterpart be hidden among the candidates. If none of the potential
counterparts is linked to the X-ray source, 1E 1613 would remain undetected in
the IR down to Ks>22.1. Such an upper limit is consistent only with an
extremely low-mass star (an M6-M8 dwarf) at the position of 1E 1613, and makes
rather problematic the interpretation of 1E 1613 as an accreting binary system.Comment: 26 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
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Periodic microvariation of B416, a new luminous blue variable in M33
This article reports optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the M33 star B416, establishing it as the fifth identified luminous blue variable (LBV) in that galaxy
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