415 research outputs found
On the orbital period of the cataclysmic variable RZ Leonis
In this research note we present a time-resolved study of the Balmer emission
lines of RZ Leo. From the analysis of the radial velocities we find an orbital
period of 0.07651(26) d. This is in excellent agreement with the
photometrically determined periods in quiescence and during the early stages of
superoutburst. A comparison of the recently determined superhump period gives
an excess of ~0.03, which is a typical value for an SU UMa star of this period.Comment: 3 pages, 6 figures, A&A, accepte
Optical spectroscopy of DPVs and the case of LP Ara
We present preliminary results of our spectroscopic campaign of a group of
intermediate mass interacting binaries dubbed "Double Periodic Variables"
(DPVs), characterized by orbital light curves and additional long photometric
cycles recurring roughly after 33 orbital periods (Mennickent et al. 2003,
2005). They have been interpreted as interacting, semi-detached binaries
showing cycles of mass loss into the interstellar medium (Mennickent et al.
2008, Mennickent & Kolaczkowski 2009). High resolution Balmer and helium line
profiles of DPVs can be interpreted in terms of mass flows in these systems. A
system solution is given for LP Ara, based on modeling of the ASAS V-band
orbital light curve and the radial velocity of the donor star.Comment: To be published in the proceedings book of the IAUS 272, Cambridge
University Press. Editors C. Neiner, G. Wade, G. Meynet and G. Peter
A study of the interacting binary V 393 Scorpii
We present high resolution J-band spectroscopy of V 393 Sco obtained with the
CRIRES at the ESO Paranal Observatory along with a discussion of archival IUE
spectra and published broad band magnitudes. The best fit to the spectral
energy distribution outside eclipse gives = 19000 500 for the
gainer, = 7250 300 for the donor, = 0.13 0.02
mag. and a distance of = 523 60 pc, although circumstellar material
was not considered in the fit. We argue that V 393 Sco is not a member of the
open cluster M7. The shape of the He I 1083 nm line shows orbital modulations
that can be interpreted in terms of an optically thick pseudo-photosphere
mimicking a hot B-type star and relatively large equatorial mass loss through
the Lagrangian L3 point during long cycle minimum. IUE spectra show several
(usually asymmetric) absorption lines from highly ionized metals and a narrow
L emission core on a broad absorption profile. The overall behavior of
these lines suggests the existence of a wind at intermediate latitudes. From
the analysis of the radial velocities we find = 0.24 0.02
and a mass function of = 4.76 0.24 M. Our observations favor
equatorial mass loss rather than high latitude outflows as the cause for the
long variability.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figures, 7 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS,
main journa
A cyclic bipolar wind in the interacting binary V393 Scorpii
V393 Scorpii is a Double Periodic Variable characterized by a relatively
stable non-orbital photometric cycle of 253 days. Mennickent et al. argue for
the presence of a massive optically thick disc around the more massive B-type
component and describe the evolutionary stage of the system. In this paper we
analyze the behavior of the main spectroscopic optical lines during the long
non-orbital photometric cycle. We study the radial velocity of the donor
determining their orbital elements and find a small but significant orbital
eccentricity (e = 0.04). The donor spectral features are modeled and removed
from the spectrum at every observing epoch using the light-curve model given by
Mennickent et al. We find that the line emission is larger during eclipses and
mostly comes from a bipolar wind. We find that the long cycle is explained in
terms of a modulation of the wind strength; the wind has a larger line and
continuum emissivity on the high state. We report the discovery of highly
variable chromospheric emission in the donor, as revealed by Doppler maps of
the emission lines MgII 4481 and CI 6588. We discuss notable and some novel
spectroscopic features like discrete absorption components, especially visible
at blue-depressed OI 7773 absorption wings during the second half-cycle, Balmer
double emission with V/R-curves showing "Z-type" and "S-type" excursions around
secondary and main eclipse, respectively, and H_beta emission wings extending
up to +- 2000 km/s. We discuss possible causes for these phenomena and for
their modulations with the long cycle.Comment: 19 pages, 22 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
An atlas of line profile studies for SU UMa type cataclysmic variables
We present H-alpha line-profile analyses for the seven SU UMa type dwarf
novae AK Cnc, WX Cet, AQ Eri, VW Hyi, RZ Leo, TU Men, and HS Vir. All data sets
are treated in the same manner, applying a sequence of techniques for each
system. The basic ingredients of this sequence are the diagnostic diagram to
determine the zero point of the orbital phase, and Doppler tomography to
visualise the emission distribution. We furthermore introduce a new qualitative
way of to evaluate the Doppler fit, by comparing the line profile of the
reconstructed with the original spectrum in the form of the V/R plot. We
present the results of the analysis in the compact form of an atlas, allowing a
direct comparison of the emission distribution in our targets. Although most of
the data sets were not taken with the intention of a line-profile analysis, we
obtain significant results and are able to indicate the type of the additional
emission in these systems. Our objects should have in principle very similar
physical properties, i.e. they cover only a small range in orbital periods,
mass ratios, and mass-transfer rates. Nevertheless, we find a large variety of
phenomena both with respect to the individual systems and also within
individual data sets of the same object. This includes `canonical' additional
emission components from the secondary star and the bright spot, but also
emission from the leading side of the accretion disc.Comment: 20 pages, 25 figures, accepted for publication in A&A, figures have
been diminished in size and qualit
High dispersion spectroscopy of two A supergiant systems in the Small Magellanic Cloud with novel properties
We present the results of a spectroscopic investigation of two novel variable
bright blue stars in the SMC, OGLE004336.91-732637.7 (SMC-SC3) and the
periodically occulted star OGLE004633.76-731204.3 (SMC-SC4), whose photometric
properties were reported by Mennickent et al. (2010). High-resolution spectra
in the optical and far-UV show that both objects are actually A + B type
binaries. Three spectra of SMC-SC4 show radial velocity variations, consistent
with the photometric period of 184.26 days found in Mennickent et al. 2010. The
optical spectra of the metallic lines in both systems show combined absorption
and emission components that imply that they are formed in a flattened
envelope. A comparison of the radial velocity variations in SMC-SC4 and the
separation of the V and R emission components in the Halpha emission profile
indicate that this envelope, and probably also the envelope around SMC-SC3, is
a circumbinary disk with a characteristic orbital radius some three times the
radius of the binary system. The optical spectra of SMC-SC3 and SMC-SC4 show,
respectively, HeI emission lines and discrete Blue Absorption Components (BACs)
in metallic lines. The high excitations of the HeI lines in the SMC-SC3
spectrum and the complicated variations of FeII emission and absorption
components with orbital phase in the spectrum of SMC-SC4 suggests that shocks
occur between the winds and various static regions of the stars' co-rotating
binary-disk complexes. We suggest that BACs arise from wind shocks from the A
star impacting the circumbinary disk and a stream of former wind-efflux from
the B star accreting onto the A star. We dub these objects prototype of a small
group of Magellanic Cloud wind-interacting A + B binaries.Comment: To be published in MNRA
The interacting binary V 393 Scorpii: another clue for Double Periodic Variables
We give a brief report on spectroscopic properties of V 393 Scorpii. H alfa
emission and shape and radial velocity of He I 5875 are modulated with the long
cycle. The long cycle is explained as a relaxation cycle in the circumprimary
disc, that cumulates the mass transferred from the donor until certain
instability produces disc depletion.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figures in encapsulated postscript format. To be published
in Proceedings IAU Symposium No.262, 200
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