A new period and period trend of IZ Persei

A new period (P=3^d.687664) of the eclipsing binary system IZ Persei is given, based on 16 observed times of the minima. O–C diagrams of IZ Per have been presented for the first time, and the period variations have been estimated in different portions of the O–C diagram. Significant period changes do not appear to have occurred in IZ Per. The O–C diagrams suggest that the period of the system is continuously increasing at a rate of 25^s yr^–1. Period variations of the order of 10^–5 d appear to have occurred around the years 1969, 1972, and 1978. The period increases are stronger than the period decreases; but these are yet to be confirmed. The overall picture of IZ Per suggests that strong period changes are not present in the system; however, slow increase of period is apparent in IZ Per. The total period change (3×10^–6 d) till the last epoch is in agreement with the newly derived period of IZ Per.     

Period study of GH Pegasi

The period study of the eclipsing binary system GH Pegasi has been presented for the first time. A new period (P=2^d.556135) of GH Peg, based on all available times of minima, has been given. O–C diagrams of the system have also been presented for the first time, and the period changes present in the system have been analysed. The period shows changes around the year 1972 and 1981. The total period change in different portions of the O–C diagram, based on the corrected period, ranges from 5.2×10^–6 d to 7.0×10^–5 d. The photoelectric minima show sufficiently large scatter in the system.     

Period variations of the eclipsing system EE Aquarii

The O–C diagrams of EE Aquarii have been presented for the first time, the period variations present in the system have been analysed, and tentative results have been presented. In all, four period decreases and three period increases are noted in the time interval 1940 to 1985. The strongest period change is noted in the time interval 1957 to 1959. Sufficiently strong period changes have also been noted in the time intervals, 1948 to 1950 and 1970 to 1976. Besides four period decreases and three period increases, eleven period fluctuations are also seen in the O–C diagram (II) of EE Aqr. The total period change in different portions of the O–C diagram (II) ranges from 1.7×10^–7 d to 8.2×10^–6 d. The period increases are stronger than the period decreases. An overall picture of the period variations suggests that weak period variations are present in the system EE Aqr.     

A new period and period changes of GG Cassiopeiae

The O–C diagram of the eclipsing binary GG Cassiopeiae has been presented for the first time, and the period changes present in the system have been analysed. In all three period changes are noted. The strongest period change has been found to occur in the time-interval 1942 to 1966. The total period change in different portions of the O–C diagram ranges from 7.1×10^–7 d to 2.0×10^–5 d. The stronger period changes appear to have occurred after 1942; prior to it, the system has shown a negligible period change. The overall picture of the O–C diagram suggests that the O–C values of the system GG Cas are negative after 1942. The presence of a third body does not appear probable. The period fluctuations are also appreciable. A new period (P=3 _. ^d 758733) has been presented.     

RS CVn-binary RW com: A possible three-body system

A first detailed period study of the eclipsing RS CVn-binary system RW Com is presented. A new period (P=0^d.2373455) based on 223 minima is given. The O–C diagrams of RW Com have been presented for the first time. Types of ten minima have been corrected judging the period trend. Period changes in different portions of the O–C diagram (Figure 2) have been estimated. The total change in period (P/P) ranges from 5.5×10^–7 to 6.4×10^–6. Thus, P ranges from 1.3×10^–7 d to 1.5×10^–6 d. Numerous minima are available in the time interval 1967 to 1986. This part of the O–C diagram (Figure 2) shows a sinusoidal variation, thus, it is suspected that RW Com could be a three-body system. The period of variation due to third body appears to be nearly 16 years.     

Period changes of Cepheid variables

Secular period changes of one hundred northern Cepheids are investigated with the help of O–C diagrams. With the classical Cepheids the rate of observed period changes is in good agreement with that determined from stellar evolution theory. The period noise cannot mask the evolutionary period changes especially in longer period Cepheids for which the occurrence of parabolic O–C graphs is unusually frequent.     

New period and period variations of DX Aquarii

The new period (P=0 _. ^d 461700) of the eclipsing binary system DX Aqr has been presented, which is based on available times of minima. O–C diagram of DX Aqr has been presented for the first time, and the period variations present in the system have been analysed. In all five period increases and five period decreases are nothed, and four period increases and five period decreases have been discussed. The strongest period increase occurs between 1975 and 1976. The total period change in different portions of the O–C diagram ranges from 1.40×10^–4 d to 3.61×10^–6 d. Appreciable period fluctuations have been noted to have occurred in the time intervals, 1964–1965 and 1974–1975.     

Period study of XX cassiopeiae

New period (P=3^d.067182) of the eclipsing binary system XX Cassiopeiae has been given, which is based on thirty-nine minima. O–C diagram of XX Cas has been presented for the first time, and the period variations present in the system have been analysed. In all seven period increases and four period decreases are noted in the time-interval 1922 to 1983. Strongest period change occurs in the time-interval 1929 to 1933. The total period change in different portions of the O–C diagram ranges from 6.1×10^–7 d to 6.3×10^–4 d. Appreciable period fluctuations are noted in the time-interval 1922 to 1936. The possibility of the presence of a third body has been suspected.     

Period study of XY Ceti

A first period study of the eclipsing binary XY Ceti is presented. A new period (P=2^d.7807135), based on all available times of minima, is given. Period changes in different portions of the O–C diagram, with a new period, have been estimated. The total change in period (P/P) ranges from 1.1×10^–5 d to 1.2×10^–4 d, thus, P ranges from 3.1×10^–5 d to 3.3×10^–4 d. The O–C diagram suggests that the trend of the period has changed around the year 1959. Two portions of increasing and decreasing trends also reveal that the period changes (P/P) of the order of 10^–5 d are present, which are appreciably large.     

Period variation and the new light curves of V471 Tauri

The light curve and period variation of the eclipsing system V471 Tau is discussed. The migration period of 191 days obtained recently by Ibanolu agrees well with the new observations. The period decreases by about one second per century, which may correspond to a mass transfer of 1×10^–7 solar mass. Furthermore, the O–C diagram shows a noticeable sine curve super-imposed on the parabolic variation. The period of the sine curve is about 3.1 years.     

Period variations in SZ Arietis

A new period (P=1^d.7175405) of the eclipsing binary system SZ Arietis has been presented. Period changes in different portions of the O-C diagram, with new period, have been estimated. The total change in period (P) ranges from 3.64×10^–5 d to 4.24×10^–4 d, which is appreciably large. However, leaving the unusual value, the average period change comes out to be of the order of 6×10^–5 d. The period changes around the years 1903, 1943, and 1977 are apparent in the O-C diagrams. A sinusoidal variation is also visible in the O-C diagrams which indicates that SZ Ari may be a three-body system, having a period of nearly 66 years.     

Period study of IT Persei

A new period (P=1 _. ^d 533731) of the eclipsing binary system IT Persei has been given, which is based on all available times of minima. O-C diagrams of IT Persei, based on the period given in PPEN (1980) and based on the new period, have been given.Long-term period changes are not present in the system, however, some period fluctuations of the order of 10^–5d are seen around the years 1907, 1921, and 1933.     

Period variations in BZ Eridani?

Recent claims that strong period variations are indicated in the O–C diagram of the eclipsing binary BZ Eri are shown to be based on a gross overestimation of the accuracy of photographic and visual times of minima. There is no evidence for any period change within the last fifty years.     

Period changes in EI Cephei

A new period (P=8^d.439422) of the eclipsing binary system EI Cephei has been given, which is based on all available times of minima. Periods using Strohmeier's (1958) epoch have also been presented for the observations given by other investigators. Period based on only photoelectric minima comes out to be 8^d.439336, which is lesser than the earlier periods given in the literature. O-C diagrams of EI Cephei have been presented for the first time, and period variations have been estimated in different portions of the O-C diagram (Figure 2) of EI Cephei. Strong period changes have occurred around the years 1959 and 1965. The total change in period (P/P) ranges from 6.7×10^–5 to 4.3×10^–4. Thus, P of the order of 10^–3 d are present, which fact suggests that strong period variations are present in EI Cephei. However, periods given by various investigators show no systematic trend of period variations. The existence of a third body in the system could not be confirmed.     

Period variations in BZ Eridani

The O-C diagram of BZ Eri has been presented for the first time, and the period variations present in the system have been analysed. In all, eight period decreases and eight period increases are noticed. Of these, four period decreases and seven period increases are appreciable. The strongest period changes are noticed in the interval 1960 to 1962. The total period change in different portions of the O-C diagram ranges from 1.17×10^–3 d to 3.96×10^–6 d. The trend of the period variation appears to have reversed around the year 1980.     

Low-energy gamma-rays from pulsar GX 1+4-balloon results

We present the results from a search of pulsed emission in low-energy gamma-rays from GX 1+4 source observed during zenith transit in a balloon experiment in April, 1982. The observed pulsar period is 120.6±0.2 s with pulsed emission flux of (1.3±0.4)×10^–5 photons cm^–2 s^–1 keV^–1 at an average energy 342 keV. These pulsations, observed at gamma-ray energies perhaps for the first time from any X-ray pulsar, in conjunction with the period determined in X-rays, indicate a spin-down in contrast with the spin-up behaviour observed by others at earlier epochs.     

A period study of V450 Herculis

A detailed period study of the eclipsing binary system V450 Her has been presented. A new period (P= _. ^d 12724) has been given. The period changes in different portions of the O-C diagram, based on new period, have been estimated. The total period change ranges from 3.28×10^–6 d to 7.06×10^–5 d, which is appreciable.     

Constancy of period in TX Ceti

A slightly improved period (P=0 _. ^d 7408401) of the eclipsing binary system TX Ceti has been given, which is based on all available times of minima. The O-C diagrams based on the period given in PPEN (1980) and based on the new period, have been given. The period of TX Ceti shows fair constancy between the time interval 1928 to 1988. The present O-C diagrams do not confirm, either the presence of a third body or the presence of mass transfer as suggested earlier.     

Multicolor Photometry of Nova Lacertae 1910 = DI Lac in 1962-2002

We present an analysis of the behavior of nova DI Lac 52 years after the outburst and over the next 40 years. Similar to a dwarf nova, DI Lac demonstrates flare activity with a characteristic time of 36 days and an amplitude of about 0 ^m .6. A flare profile is asymmetrical, the rise in brightness lasting about five days and the fading lasting about twenty days. Shorter flares sometimes occur between the main ones. The flares can be divided into three types in accordance with their behavior on magnitude–color diagrams. The ascending and descending branches of flares of the first type practically coincide on the diagrams, the second type describe counterclockwise loops, and the third type describe clockwise loops. The first and second types of flares can be explained within the framework of the theory of thermal instability as arising first in the outer and inner parts of the accretion disk, respectively. The nature of flares of the third type is still unclear.     

Low-energy gamma-rays from pulsar GX 1+4-balloon results

We present the results from a search of pulsed emission in low-energy gamma-rays from GX 1+4 source observed during zenith transit in a balloon experiment in April 1982. The observed pulsar period is 120.6±0.2 s with pulsed emission flux of (1.3±0.4)×10^–5 photons cm^–2s^–1 keV^–1 at an average energy 342 keV. These pulsations, observed at gamma-ray energies perhaps for the first time from any X-ray pulsar, in conjunction with the period determined in X-rays, indicate a spin-down in contrast with the spin-up behaviour observed by others at earlier epochs.