Spectroscopic and photometric observations of symbiotic nova PU Vul during 2009–2016

A new set of low-resolution spectral and UBVJHKL-photometric observations of the symbiotic nova PU Vul is presented. The binary has been evolving after its symbiotic nova outburst in 1977 and now it is in the nebular stage. It is found that the third orbital cycle(after 1977) was characterized by great changes in associated light curves. Now, PU Vul exhibits a sine-wave shape in all the light curves(with an amplitude in the U band of about 0.7 mag), which is typical for symbiotic stars in the quiescent state. Brightness variability due to pulsations of the cool component is now clearly visible in the VRI light curves. The amplitude of the pulsations increases from 0.5 mag in the V band to 0.8 mag in the I band. These two types of variability, as well as a very slow change in the physical parameters of the hot component due to evolution after the outburst of 1977, influence the spectral energy distribution(SED)of the system. The variability of emission lines is highly complex. Only hydrogen line fluxes vary with orbital phase. An important feature of the third orbital cycle is the first emergence of the OVI, 6828  Raman scattering line. We determine the temperature of the hot component by means of the Zanstra method applied to the He II, 4686  line. Our estimate is about 150 000 K for the spectrum obtained near orbital maximum in 2014. The VO spectral index derived near pulsation minimum corresponds to M6 spectral class for the cool component of PU Vul.     

Light Curves of the Type II-P Supernova SN 2017eaw: The First 200 Days

We present the results of our UBVRI photometry for the type II-P supernova SN 2017eaw in NGC6946 obtained fromMay 14 to December 7, 2017, at several telescopes, including the 2.5-m telescope at the CaucasusHigh-Altitude Observatory of the SAIMSU. The dates andmagnitudes atmaximumlight and the light-curve parameters have been determined. The color evolution, extinction, and peak luminosity of SN 2017eaw are discussed. The results of our preliminary radiation–gasdynamic simulations of its light curves with the STELLA code describe satisfactorily the UBVRI observational data.     

Photometric Evolution of the Orbital Light Curves of the Slow Nova V723 Cas

UBVRI photoelectric and CCD photometry of the slow nova V723 Cas obtained in the years 1995–2003 is presented. The evolution of light curves in 1-year intervals, folded with the orbital period 0.69326 days, shows an increase of the amplitude of the wave-like variations from 0.07 to 1.3 mag during the years 1997–2003. The fact that the shape and amplitude of the orbital light curves does not depend on wavelength is most probably related to the geometry of eclipses combined with the distribution of circumstellar matter in the system.     

Photometric and spectrophotometric observations of the classical symbiotic star YY Her during its return to quiescence

We present new photometric UBVRI and spectroscopic observations of the symbiotic star YY Her during its return to quiescence after a strong outburst in 1993. High-resolution spectra of YY Her at similar phases at outburst maximum ?=0.48) and in quiescence ?=0.37) are presented for the first time. The ephemeris of YY Her has been refined P=586^d). The last two observed minima (in 1999 and 2000) differed radically in shape from the 1997 minimum described previously. Both were sharp and deep $(\Delta U \sim 1\mathop .\limits^m 6, \Delta V \sim 0\mathop .\limits^m 9)$ . To explain this shape of the V light curve, which is only slightly affected by nebular emission, it should be assumed that the cool component of YY Her fills much of its Roche lobe and has a hot spot on the hemisphere facing the hot component. The emission spectrum rich in Fe II lines, which is characteristic of symbiotic stars, was observed during the outburst, but high-ionization lines (He II λ4686) were also observed. The He I λλ5876, 7065 lines exhibit distinct P Cyg profiles; the centers of the absorption components are shifted from the emission ones by V _r≈100 km s^?1, suggesting moderate outflow velocities.     

Unusual Photometric Activity of the Weak-line T Tauti Star V715 Per

The results of many-year photometric observations of the weak-line T Tauri star V715 Per in the optical (V RI) and infrared (JHK) photometric bands are presented. The period of the star’s lowamplitude brightness variations in the V RI bands detected earlier, 5.23d, is confirmed. This period persists during the entire 14-year time interval of the observations, but its amplitude varies with time. The same period was found in the variations of JHK infrared fluxes, with the brightness variations in the two ranges being almost synchronous. The most probable origin of these variations is periodic eclipses of the star by its own disk, perturbed by its interaction with the magnetosphere (AA Tau-type variations). In addition to the periodic brightness variations, the star also displayed sporadic Algol-like minima characteristic of UX Ori stars during several years (2005–2011). The amplitude of these variations increasedmonotonically, reaching approximately 1^m in the V band by the end of 2010, after which the deep fadings ended. During this entire time interval, the amplitude of the periodic variations was observed to decrease. After 2011, the periodic component began to become stronger again. These changes of the photometric activity of V715 Per can be explained by an increasing rate of gas accretion onto the star, decreasing the radius of warped regions of the disk and leading to accompanying Algol-like fadings. This model assumes a low inclination of the circumstellar disk in V715 Per to the line of sight.     

Simulation of the detection zone of dangerous celestial bodies for space-based systems

The simulation results of zones of visibility of celestial bodies potentially dangerous for a wide-field orbital telescope taking into account the basic parameters of the detector, telescope, and movement of celestial bodies are presented. Visibility zones of 50–300 m of dangerous celestial bodies 7–60 days prior to their possible collision with the Earth are calculated using telescopes with apertures of 0.4, 0.75 (VT-77), and 1.5 m.     

The dwarf nova MN Dra: Periodic processes at various phases of the supercycle

We analyze photometry of the dwarf nova MN Dra carried out using various instruments at four observatories on 18 nights between May 20 and June 28, 2009. The observations cover a variety of activity states of the system: a superoutburst, three normal outbursts, and quiescence. Analysis of the system’s light curve during the superoutburst decline reveals positive superhumps that recur, on average, with a period of 0.105 days and are due to the direct apsidal precession of the accretion disk. These are observed until the end of the superoutburst, but their period decreases at a rate of −24.5 × 10⁻⁵ of the period per period. Both the positive-superhump period and its derivative are in good agreement with estimates made during previous superoutbursts. At the brightness minimum and in normal outbursts, MN Dra displays brightness variations with a period of 0.096 days, whose amplitude is much larger during the brightness minimum (0.8 ^m –1.5 ^m ) than during normal outbursts (0.1 ^m –0.2 ^m ). We suggest that these brightness variations could be negative superhumps due to nodal precession of the oblique accretion disk.     

UV detectors for spectrographs of WSO-UV project

The WUVS (WSO-UV Ultra Violet Spectrographs) consists of two high resolution spectrographs (R=50000) covering the Far-UV range of 115–176 nm and the Near-UV range of 174–310 nm, and a long-slit spectrograph (R=1000) covering the wavelength range of 115–305 nm. Significant progress in the CCD development gives a possibility to use back-illuminated CCD detectors with anti-reflection coating for observations in the UV. These detectors are under construction by e2v company (UK) based on their heritage of detectors production for numerous space missions including those for UV- and far-UV. The main parameters of WUVS detector subsystems are described.     

WSO-UV progress and expectations

The World Space Observatory Ultraviolet (WSO-UV) is the space mission that will grant access to the ultraviolet (UV) range in the post Hubble epoch. WSO-UV is equipped with instrumentation for imaging and spectroscopy and it is fully devoted to UV astronomy. In this article, we outline the WSO-UV mission model and present the current status of the project.