The Near-Contact System V387 Cygni: BVRI Photometry and Modelling

The first complete CCD BVRI-filter light curves of the eclipsing near-contact binary V387 Cyg were obtained during 5 nights in 2004 at Kryoneri Observatory, Greece. Their analysis with the W-D program indicates a semi-detached configuration with possible cool spots, although no O' Connell effect is present and a strong asymmetry after Min II can be explained assuming either a strong flare or circumstellar matter.     

High-speed photometry of the dwarf nova SS Cyg

P. K. Shternberg State Astronomical Institute. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 433–439, November–December, 1988.     

Photometry of yellow semi-regular variables: SS Gem

New photoelectric photometry of SS Gem is presented. The period analysis and light curve fits show that the formal period is the pulsation period and there is a strong first harmonic. The period variation of SS Gem is found to be similar to that of AC Her. It is argued that being a Population I object, SS Gem is not a low-mass star in the post-AGB phase but an intermediate-mass variable related to classical cepheids.     

Outburst Cycle of the Dwarf Nova SS Cygni

Extensive observational data obtained to date is analyzed with special attention given to space observations. The spectral type of the white dwarf is estimated and it is concluded that accretion of matter on it is the only source of the x-ray flux in the system. The rotation of the secondary is shown to be synchronous and therefore its illumination by hard x-rays results in the formation of stellar wind. This is the main mechanism of mass transfer onto the white dwarf. The geometry of the system prevents the formation of the disk by stellar wind. Instead, stellar wind forms a quasispherical envelope whose variability influences the outburst process. Based on these conclusions, the properties of the system are interpreted, which so far have remained unexplained: short-term appearance of peculiar spectrum during the rising phase of the outburst, rather constant width of absorption lines during the outburst, decrease of the width of emission lines during the outburst, variation of the x-ray and ultraviolet fluxes during ordinary and low-amplitude anomalous outbursts, and, finally, the quasiperiodicity of the outbursts.     

Optical and X-Ray Observations of the Symbiotic System Ag Draconis During Quiescence and Outburst

We review the main characteristics of the symbiotic system AG Draconis, with special emphasis on its optical and X-ray variations. We also discuss the X-ray to visual energy distribution during quiescence and outburst and describe our spectroscopic and X-ray observations during the 2003 outburst. Based on X-ray observations collected with the XMM–Newton Observatory, on INES data from the IUE satellite, and on optical spectra collected with the Asiago–Cima Ekar, Bologna–Loiano and La Palma–Galileo Italian telescopes.     

Ccd Photometry of the Neglected Contact Binaries V344 Lac and V1191 Cyg

New photoelectric and CCD observations of the eclipsing contact binary systems V344 Lac and V1191 Cyg are presented and analyzed. All available times of minimum light were used to study period changes of the systems and determine up-to-date ephemerides. The orbital period of V1191 Cyg is found to be increasing at a very fast rate. The photometric elements were determined using the new light curve, radial-velocity curve and broadening function fitting code ROCHE.     

New aspects of spectral behavior of SS Cyg and WX Hyi between quiescence and outburst states in the UV

We present low-resolution UV spectra of the dwarf novae SS Cyg and WX Hyi in both quiescence and outburst states from observations taken by the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) during the period between 1978–1994 and 1979–1993 for two systems respectively. Both SS Cyg and WX Hyi are characterized by emission lines in quiescence physical states and absorption lines in states of outburst. We concentrated on calculating the line fluxes and line widths of the C IV 1550 Å emission line arising from the disk around the white dwarf of SS Cyg and WX Hyi. We found that there is spectral variability for these physical parameters at different times, similar to that known for their light curves (Voloshina and Khruzina, 2006, Kuulkers et al., 1991). We attribute it to the variations of both density and temperature as a result of changing the mass transfer rate (Long et al., 2005, Patterson, 1984, Meyer and Meyer-Hofmeister, 1994, Cannizzo, 2001, Schwope et al., 2002). Also we found that both line fluxes and line widths of SS Cyg are greater than the line fluxes and line widths of WX Hyi.     

Results of Photometric and Polarimetric Observations of the Fuor V1057 Cyg from the Time of an Outburst to the Present

Observations of the brightness, color, and polarization of the fuor V1057 Cyg over more than 30 years are presented and briefly discussed. Variability of the linear polarization was found.     

The additional radiation of Cyg X-1 at primary minimum

New UBV-photoelectric observations of the well-known massive X-ray binary system Cyg X-1/V 1357 Cyg are obtained near the primary minimum. The detailed analysis of these observations confirms the existence of additional blue radiation which appears as a narrow peak with an amplitude of 0.01–0.02 mag near phase 0.00 on the light curve (the superior conjunction of the relativistic component), firstly detected by Lyuty (1985). This emission does not appear at every orbital cycle. The appearance of this narrow peak of additional blue radiation on the light curve of Cyg X-1 can be explained as the radiation of relativistic electrons in the disturbed magnetic field of the optical star in frames of the model proposed by Ikhsanov and Fabrika (1990).     

BVRI photometry and light curve analysis of VW CEP

Synthetic light curve solutions for the W UMa-system VW Cep have been determined by applying the most new version of Wilson (1998)approach to B-observations of 1996 and VRI-observations of 1999. From a consideration of the possible evolution of this system, it is found that the system is a partial eclipsing contact one, and its primary to be a nearly Main-Sequence F5 star of mass 0.85 M _⊙ and the secondary to be a dwarf of spectral type G0 of mass 0.34 M _⊙. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Photometry and spectrophotometry of magnetic stars

A review of selected photometric and spectrophotometric properties of magnetic stars is given. It is shown that unreddened B–V of magnetic stars around B9 type can be transformed to log T_e using the calibration for normal stars and no systematic errors are introduced. Mechanisms of light variability are discussed. It is concluded that different mechanisms must be operating in different stars. Recently obtained photometric observations of short-period variability by KURTZ and Hβ variability by MADEJ et al. are discussed. An information about internal structure and the atmospheric structure of these stars can be derived from these observations.