High-speed photometry of faint cataclysmic variables – II. RS Car, V365 Car, V436 Car, AP Cru, RR Cha, BI Ori, CM Phe and V522 Sgr

Short time-scale photometric properties of eight faint cataclysmic variable (CV) stars are presented. Nova Carinae 1895 (RS Car) has a photometric modulation at 1.977 h that could be either an orbital or a superhump period. Nova Carinae 1948 (V365 Car) shows flickering, but any orbital modulation has a period in excess of 6 h. The nova-like variable and X-ray source V436 Car has an orbital modulation at   P _orb= 4.207 h  , no detectable period near 2.67 h (which had previously given it a possible intermediate polar classification), and dwarf nova oscillations (DNOs) at ∼40 s. Nova Crucis 1936 (AP Cru) has a double-humped ellipsoidal modulation at   P _orb= 5.12 h  and a stable modulation at 1837 s characteristic of an intermediate polar. Nova Chamaeleontis 1953 (RR Cha) is an eclipsing system with   P _orb= 3.362 h  , but at times shows negative superhumps at 3.271 h and positive superhumps at 3.466 h. In addition it has a stable period at 1950 s, characteristic of an intermediate polar. BI Ori is a dwarf nova that we observed at quiescence and outburst without detecting any orbital modulation. CM Phe is a nova-like variable for which we confirm the value of   P _orb= 6.454 h  found by Hoard, Wachter & Kim-Quijano . We have identified the remnant of Nova Sagittarii 1931 (V522 Sgr) with a flickering source ∼2.2 mag fainter than the previously proposed candidate (which we find to be non-variable).     

The recovery of the old nova RS Car (1895)

Low-resolution spectra, taken at La Silla (ESO), identify the old nova RS Car (1895) as a ∼18 mag star located 7 arcsec southwest from the previous published position. This suggests a much brighter absolute magnitude of the old nova, M _v ∼5.4, than previously suspected. The spectrum reveals a continuum energy distribution typical of optically thick accretion discs and quite a high excitation state of the gas. The possible detection of the AlO λ 4843 emission band is discussed.     

An analysis of the spectra and light curve of Nova Centauri 1995

The light curve and spectra of Nova Centauri 1995 (V888 Cen) are analysed. The spectra were obtained a few days post-maximum. The nova is found to be a very fast nova, declining by 2 mag within about 5±2 d of maximum. The light curve shows strong oscillations in the transition region, of peak-to-peak amplitude about 1.5 mag and period 12–15 d. The light curve of Nova Centauri resembles closely that of Nova Aquilae 1918 (V603 Aql).
The early blue and red spectra obtained at Mt John show broad emission lines, many with P Cygni profiles. The absorption lines are found in two velocity systems at about −1765 and −3010 km s⁻¹, in respectively the principal and diffuse-enhanced stages of spectral development, as defined by McLaughlin. Nova Centauri has many Fe  ii lines in emission, indicating that it is a member of the Williams Fe  ii class of classical novae.     

Emission-line oscillations in the dwarf nova V2051 Ophiuchi

We have detected coherent oscillations, at multiple frequencies, in the line and continuum emission of the eclipsing dwarf nova V2051 Ophiuchi using the 10-m Keck II telescope. Our own novel data acquisition system allowed us to obtain very fast spectroscopy using a continuous readout of the CCD on the LRIS spectrograph. This is the first time that dwarf nova oscillations have been detected and resolved in the emission lines. The accretion disc is highly asymmetric with a stronger contribution from the blueshifted side of the disc during our observations. The disc extends from close to the white dwarf out to the outer regions of the primary Roche lobe.
Continuum oscillations at 56.12 s and its first harmonic at 28.06 s are most likely to originate on the surface of a spinning white dwarf with the fundamental period corresponding to the spin period. Balmer and helium emission lines oscillate with a period of 29.77 s at a mean amplitude of 1.9 per cent. The line kinematics and the eclipse constraints indicate an origin in the accretion disc at a radius of 12±2 R _wd. The amplitude of the emission-line oscillation modulates (0–4 per cent) at a period of 488 s, corresponding to the Kepler period at R =12 R _wd. This modulation is caused by the beating between the white dwarf spin and the orbital motion in the disc.
The observed emission-line oscillations cannot be explained by a truncated disc as in the intermediate polars. The observations suggest a non-axisymmetric bulge in the disc, orbiting at 12 R _wd, is required. The close correspondence between the location of the oscillations and the circularization radius of the system suggests that stream overflow effects may be of relevance.