Extensive photometry of the intermediate polar MU Cam: detection of a spin period change

Intermediate polars with known rates of spin period changes are not numerous because such tasks require measurements performed for a long time. To measure a spin period change, MU Cam is a good candidate because it has a spin oscillation with a large amplitude enabling measurements with high precision. Fortunately, in the past the spin period of MU Cam was measured with high precision. To measure the spin period anew, in 2014-2015 we performed extensive photometric observations of MU Cam, spanning a total duration of 208 h within 46 nights. We found that the spin, sideband and orbital periods are equal to 1187.16245+/-0.00047 s, 1276.3424+/-0.0022 s and 4.71942+/-0.00016 h, respectively. Comparing the measured spin period with the spin period of MU Cam in the past, we detected the spin period change with dP/dt=-(2.17+/-0.10) X 10^(-10). This rate of the spin period change was not stable and varied in a time scale of years. During four nights in 2014 April-May MU Cam was fainter than usual by 0.8 mag, and the amplitude of the sideband oscillation was five times larger, denoting significant fraction of disc-overflow accretion. The sideband oscillation showed a double-peaked pulse profile in the normal brightness state. When the star brightness was decreased by 0.8 mag, the sideband oscillation showed a single-peaked pulse profile. In contrast, the spin pulse, which was quasi-sinusoidal, remained remarkably stable both in profile and in amplitude. Moreover, the spin pulse was also remarkably stable in a time scale of years and even decades. MU Cam is of great interest because it represents a distinctive object with a large and unstable rate of the spin period change and exhibits a distinctive behaviour of the pulse profiles.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Extensive photometry of the WZ Sge-type dwarf nova V455 And (HS2331+3905): detection of negative superhumps and coherence features of the short-period oscillations

We report the results of photometry of the WZ Sge-type dwarf nova V455 And. Observations were obtained over 19 nights in 2013 and 2014. The total duration of the observations was 96 h. We clearly detected three coherent oscillations with periods of 80.376+/-0.003 min, 40.5431+/-0.0004 min and 67.619685+/-0.000040 s. The 67.619685-s period can be the spin period of the white dwarf. The 40.5431-minute period is the first harmonic of the orbital period. The 80.376-minute oscillation can be a negative superhump because its period is 0.9% less than the orbital period. This oscillation was evident both in the data of 2013 and in the data of 2014. These results make V455 And a permanent superhump system which shows negative superhumps. This is also the first detection of persistent negative superhumps in a WZ Sge-type dwarf nova. In addition, the analysis of our data revealed incoherent oscillations with periods in the range 5-6 min, which were observed earlier and accounted for by non-radial pulsations of the white dwarf. Moreover, we clearly detected an oscillation with a period of 67.28+/-0.03 s, which was of a low degree of coherence. This oscillation conforms to the beat between the spin period of the white dwarf and the 3.5-h spectroscopic period, which was discovered earlier and accounted for by the free precession of the white dwarf. Because the 67.28-s period is shorter than the spin period and because the free precession of the white dwarf is retrograde, we account for the 67.28-s oscillation by the free precession of the white dwarf.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, will be published in New Astronom

An extensive photometric study of the recently discovered intermediate polar V647 Aur (1RXS J063631.9+353537)

We report the results of photometry of the intermediate polar V647 Aur. Observations were obtained over 42 nights in 2012 and 2013. The total duration of the observations was 246 h. We clearly detected three oscillations with periods of 932.9123+\-0.0011, 1008.30797+\-0.00038 and 1096.955+\-0.004 s, which may be the white dwarf spin period and two orbital sidebands, accordingly. The oscillation with a period of 932.9123 s has a quasi-sinusoidal pulse profile with a slightly changeable semi-amplitude from 10.9 mmag in 2012 to 12.5 mmag in 2013. The oscillation with a period of 1008.30797 s has a slightly asymmetric pulse profile with a remarkable small hump on the ascending part. The semi-amplitude of this oscillation is highly changeable both in a time-scale of days (26-77 mmag) and in a time-scale of years (47 mmag in 2012 and 34 mmag in 2013). The oscillation with a period of 1096.955 s has a highly asymmetric pulse profile with a semi-amplitude of about 6 mmag. The three detected oscillations imply an orbital period of 3.46565+\-0.00006 h. By comparing our data with the data of B. T. Gansicke et al., which were obtained 8 years ago, we discovered that the spin period of the white dwarf in V647 Aur decreases with dP/dt=(-1.36+\-0.08) X 10^-10. This important result should be confirmed by future observations. Our oscillation ephemeredes and times of maxima can be useful for this confirmation.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, will be published in MNRAS. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1202.249

Extensive photometry of the intermediate polar V2069 Cyg (RX J2123.7+4217)

To obtain the spin period of the white dwarf in the intermediate polar V2069 Cyg with high precision, we fulfilled extensive photometry. Observations were performed within 32 nights, which have a total duration of 119 hours and cover 15 months. We found the spin period of the white dwarf, which is equal to 743.40650+/-0.00048 s. Using our precise spin period, we derived the oscillation ephemeris with a long validity of 36 years. This ephemeris and the precise spin period can be used for future investigations of spin period changes of the white dwarf in V2069 Cyg. In addition, for the first time we detected the sideband oscillation with a period of 764.5125+/-0.0049 s. The spin and sideband oscillations revealed unstable amplitudes both in a time-scale of days and in a time-scale of years. On average, the semi-amplitude of the spin oscillation varied from 17 mmag in 2014 to 25 mmag in 2015. The semi-amplitude of the sideband oscillation varied from 12 mmag in 2014 to an undetectable level of less than 7 mmag in 2015. In a time-scale of years, the optical spin pulse profile revealed essential changes from an asymmetric double-peaked shape in 2014 to a quasi-sinusoidal shape in 2015. Such drastic changes of the optical spin pulse profile seem untypical of most intermediate polars and, therefore, are of great interest. The pulse profile of the sideband oscillation was quasi-sinusoidal. Moreover, we note that V2069 Cyg possesses strong flickering with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.4-0.6 mag.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Discovery of deep eclipses in the cataclysmic variable IPHAS J051814.33+294113.0

Performing the photometric observations of the cataclysmic variable IPHAS J051814.33+294113.0, we discovered very deep eclipses. The observations were obtained over 14 nights, had a total duration of 56 hours and covered one year. The large time span, during which we observed the eclipses, allowed us to measure the orbital period in IPHAS J051814.33+294113.0 with high precision, Porb=0.20603098+/-0.00000025 d. The prominent parts of the eclipses lasted 0.1+/-0.01 phases or 30+/-3 min. The depth of the eclipses was variable in the range 1.8-2.9 mag. The average eclipse depth was equal to 2.42+/-0.06 mag. The prominent parts of the eclipses revealed a smooth and symmetric shape. We derived the eclipse ephemeris, which, according to the precision of the orbital period, has a formal validity time of 500 years. This ephemeris can be useful for future investigations of the long-term period changes. During the latter four observational nights in 2017 January, we observed the sharp brightness decrease of IPHAS J051814.33+294113.0 by 2.3 mag. This brightness decrease imitated the end of the dwarf nova outburst. However, the long-term light curve of IPHAS J051814.33+294113.0 obtained in the course of the Catalina Sky Survey during 8 years showed no dwarf nova outbursts. From this we conclude that IPHAS J051814.33+294113.0 is a novalike variable. Moreover, the sharp brightness decrease, which we observed in IPHAS J051814.33+294113.0, suggests that this novalike variable belongs to the VY Scl-subtype. Due to very deep eclipses, IPHAS J051814.33+294113.0 is suitable to study the accretion disc structure using eclipse mapping techniques. Because this novalike variable has the long orbital period, it is of interest to determine the masses of the stellar components from radial velocity measurements. Then, our precise eclipse ephemeris can be useful to the phasing of spectroscopic data.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Neutron resonances in planar waveguides

Results of experimental investigations of a neutron resonances width in planar waveguides using the time-of-flight reflectometer REMUR of the IBR-2 pulsed reactor are reported and comparison with theoretical calculations is presented. The intensity of the neutron microbeam emitted from the waveguide edge was registered as a function of the neutron wavelength and the incident beam angular divergence. The possible applications of this method for the investigations of layered nanostructures are discussed

Wannier functions and exchange integrals: The example of LiCu2_{2}O2_{2}

Starting from a single band Hubbard model in the Wannier function basis, we revisit the problem of the ligand contribution to exchange and derive explicit formulae for the exchange integrals in metal oxide compounds in terms of atomic parameters that can be calculated with constrained LDA and LDA+U. The analysis is applied to the investigation of the isotropic exchange interactions of LiCu$_{2}$O$_{2}$, a compound where the Cu-O-Cu angle of the dominant exchange path is close to 90$^{\circ}$. Our results show that the magnetic moments are localized in Wannier orbitals which have strong contribution from oxygen atomic orbitals, leading to exchange integrals that considerably differ from the estimates based on kinetic exchange only. Using LSDA+U approach, we also perform a direct {\it ab-initio} determination of the exchange integrals LiCu$_{2}$O$_{2}$. The results agree well with those obtained from the Wannier function approach, a clear indication that this modelization captures the essential physics of exchange. A comparison with experimental results is also included, with the conclusion that a very precise determination of the Wannier function is crucial to reach quantitative estimates.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Electronic correlations and crystal structure distortions in BaBiO3

BaBiO3 is a material where formally Bi4+ ions with the half-filled 6s-states form the alternating set of Bi3+ and Bi5+ ions resulting in a charge ordered insulator. The charge ordering is accompanied by the breathing distortion of the BiO6 octahedra (extension and contraction of the Bi-O bond lengths). Standard Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations fail to obtain the crystal structure instability caused by the pure breathing distortions. Combining effects of the breathing distortions and tilting of the BiO6 octahedra allows DFT to reproduce qualitatively experimentally observed insulator with monoclinic crystal structure but gives strongly underestimate breathing distortion parameter and energy gap values. In the present work we reexamine the BaBiO3 problem within the GGA+U method using a Wannier functions basis set for the Bi 6s-band. Due to high oxidation state of bismuth in this material the Bi 6s-symmetry Wannier function is predominantly extended spatially on surrounding oxygen ions and hence differs strongly from a pure atomic 6s-orbital. That is in sharp contrast to transition metal oxides (with exclusion of high oxidation state compounds) where the major part a of d-band Wannier function is concentrated on metal ion and a pure atomic d-orbital can serve as a good approximation. The GGA+U calculation results agree well with experimental data, in particular with experimental crystal structure parameters and energy gap values. Moreover, the GGA+U method allows one to reproduce the crystal structure instability due to the pure breathing distortions without octahedra tilting

Neutron methods for the direct determination of the magnetic induction in thick films

We review different neutron methods which allow extracting directly the value of the magnetic induction in thick films: Larmor precession, Zeeman spatial beam-splitting and neutron spin resonance. Resulting parameters obtained by the neutron methods and standard magnetometry technique are presented and compared. The possibilities and specificities of the neutron methods are discussed