[Aavso-photometry] [cvnet-discussion] Re: What's next?
Berto Monard
lagmonar at csir.co.za
Fri Jan 28 08:50:25 EST 2005
I am pleased to read all this, but let's not underestimate the pro's.
They know quite well what is going in CV systems.
In case of DNe they would like to fill in the details (every CV has its
own particular behaviour) via observations during the active state.
Since they are not equipped (read: have unrestricted access to observing
instrumentation) to monitor CVs for any sudden activities, we have a job
to do and we tend to love it.
There are so many unexplored CVs, some quite faint and some only just
discovered. Some experience active (outburst) states. They make up the
type of exciting observations that an amateur with CCD (and also
visual!) can do. Information is available on the internet (CV atlas,
SDSS publications...).
I just wonder how many Northern observers are involved with this. Who
observes LT And, PT And, V1208 Taur, LW Cam? Patrick Schmeer perhaps...
There are possibly many (100+?) such CVs that are doing things but
hardly anybody cares to look at them.
There is a lot to find out and what is nicer than to follow up on some
suspect behaviour.
As a point in case, at CBA Pretoria, recurrent nova V745 Sco has been
seen to vary between magns 15 and 16 over a period of more than a year.
On the morning of 26 Jan (first observation after culmination) V745 Sco
suddenly looked absent (perhaps <16.5, a not so faint limit due to low
horizon viewing). Weather allowing I 'll look again ASAP. Perhaps
someone else with better weather might find something there right
now...
Regards,
Berto
>>> w_renz at onlinehome.de 27/01/2005 20:35:50 >>>
Hello Mike
You are right.
There are many interesting things left even with well-known 'bright'
CVs. Professionals seem to be gravitated towards the new and
faint ones. So the monitoring of the others seem to be left to the
amateurs.
The CCDV data of JM on U Gem during the last weeks show some
interesting variations between the eclipses and also some kind of
'wave' in the mean mag.
Wouldn't it be neat when it would turn out that the outburst could be
predicted by such a variation ?
The eclipses during and just before the rise are still of general
interest.
I hope JM is on it when it starts to rise. That would be the right pay
off
for several weeks of work.
What about the muted variations of the Z Cam stars during standstill ?
The vis obs of Z Cam seem to show variations up to several cmag with
a period of the 'usual' cycle down to variations during a single
night.
But I havn't seen any PMT or CCD that could verify them.
Mike, it would be great if you could open a list with such 'projects'
that
could improve the understanding of CVs.
Clear skies
Wolfgang
--
Wolfgang Renz, Karlsruhe, Germany
Rz.BAV = WRe.vsnet = RWG.AAVSO
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Simonsen" <mikesimonsen at mindspring.com>
To: <aavso-photometry at mira.aavso.org>;
<cvnet-discussion at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 7:19 AM
Subject: Re: [Aavso-photometry] What's next?
> There is no shortage of interesting things to monitor or observe with
CVs.
> Even U Gem, which I'm sure everyone thinks we know everything about,
still
> has surprises and mysteries to unravel after 150 years of
observations.
>
> She may not be a UGSU with superhumps, but U Gem is a grazing
eclipser, and
> a lot of the important properties of CV systems can be studied from
these
> type systems. Currently AAVSO has a standing order to watch for U Gem
to go
> into outburst to coordinate with RXTE observations. If you have been
> following her activity recently, you'll note that U Gem is relatively
faint,
> around 14.4-14.6 on average not taking eclipses into account.
>
> Does this indicate a much longer wait than usual for her to go into
> outburst? Or is this some indication of something else? Can you
imagine
> being the lucky SOB who is taking time series and observing eclipses
when
> she starts to go into outburst? What if several observers were
monitoring
> this system in U, B, and V at the onset of an outburst? Combine that
with
> the X-ray data and what new things might be learned?
>
> Even SS Cyg may have some surprises left for us as Aaron mentioned in
his
> post regarding the AAS meeting papers. Or throw a Ha filter on your
scope
> and look for the remains of nova-like shells of expanding material
around
> CVs, or do quiescent photometry as Arne alluded to in his post to
CVnet.
>
> The SDSS has discovered a bunch of NL systems that you can monitor
for high
> and low states without waiting for an outburst, as well as several
systems
> worth keeping an eye on because they might turn out to be the next WZ
Sge!
>
> There are also those systems that we know are eclipsing systems that
can
> reveal useful scientific results when in outburst. We're all holding
our
> breath waiting for HT Cas to finally go into superoutburst, but don't
ignore
> GY Cnc, DV UMa, IY UMa, IP Peg and several others I can't remember
off the
> top of my head. EM Cyg is the only known UGZ to exhibit eclipses.
Talk about
> your under-appreciated stars!
>
> Along those lines, there is another mystery to unravel.
Statistically
> speaking, there should be more high inclination systems exhibiting
eclipses.
> Of the 1000 or so known CVs why are so few observed to exhibit
eclipses? Is
> this a real deficit, or are there some well known systems that no one
has
> bothered to check for eclipses or grazing eclipses? Look for more
info on
> this idea in an upcoming CVnet interview with Bill Worraker.
>
> Then there are the oddball stars that defy definition or
understanding, or
> are just plain uncooperative when it comes to obtaining data. I
remember
> when I first started monitoring DW Cnc it was thought to be a NL or
maybe
> UGZ. Now after bringing more attention to it, it has turned out to be
an IP!
> GZ Cnc is another weird boy. FS Aur has stopped outbursting just to
confound
> Joe Patterson and CBA and FY Per is another NL mystery.
>
> V452 Cas used to be active, now no one has heard from her in ages.
Whazzup
> with that? V632 Cyg seems to do the same thing. It will be active off
and on
> for a while and then nothing for ages.
>
> There are a host of stars with long outburst cycles that only the
visual
> observes bother with because the payoff is small for the length of
time
> invested. But when one of these rare puppies goes off everyone jumps
on the
> bandwagon. Hey, that's the name of the game, and there is no shame.
>
> Then there are the new discoveries and the old stuff from the
literature
> that need to be sorted out, not to mention the old novae that still
act up
> and the recurrent novae that tantalize us with the prospect of going
off any
> day without warning.
>
> Even the run of the mill CVs that you'd think have been studied to
death can
> not be counted on to act as the theories predict.
>
> What's next?
>
> Nobody knows. That's what makes this so exciting!
>
>
> Mike Simonsen
>
>>> w_renz at onlinehome.de 27/01/2005 20:35:50 >>>
Hello Mike
You are right.
There are many interesting things left even with well-known 'bright'
CVs. Professionals seem to be gravitated towards the new and
faint ones. So the monitoring of the others seem to be left to the
amateurs.
The CCDV data of JM on U Gem during the last weeks show some
interesting variations between the eclipses and also some kind of
'wave' in the mean mag.
Wouldn't it be neat when it would turn out that the outburst could be
predicted by such a variation ?
The eclipses during and just before the rise are still of general
interest.
I hope JM is on it when it starts to rise. That would be the right pay
off
for several weeks of work.
What about the muted variations of the Z Cam stars during standstill ?
The vis obs of Z Cam seem to show variations up to several cmag with
a period of the 'usual' cycle down to variations during a single
night.
But I havn't seen any PMT or CCD that could verify them.
Mike, it would be great if you could open a list with such 'projects'
that
could improve the understanding of CVs.
Clear skies
Wolfgang
--
Wolfgang Renz, Karlsruhe, Germany
Rz.BAV = WRe.vsnet = RWG.AAVSO
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Simonsen" <mikesimonsen at mindspring.com>
To: <aavso-photometry at mira.aavso.org>;
<cvnet-discussion at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 7:19 AM
Subject: Re: [Aavso-photometry] What's next?
> There is no shortage of interesting things to monitor or observe with
CVs.
> Even U Gem, which I'm sure everyone thinks we know everything about,
still
> has surprises and mysteries to unravel after 150 years of
observations.
>
> She may not be a UGSU with superhumps, but U Gem is a grazing
eclipser, and
> a lot of the important properties of CV systems can be studied from
these
> type systems. Currently AAVSO has a standing order to watch for U Gem
to go
> into outburst to coordinate with RXTE observations. If you have been
> following her activity recently, you'll note that U Gem is relatively
faint,
> around 14.4-14.6 on average not taking eclipses into account.
>
> Does this indicate a much longer wait than usual for her to go into
> outburst? Or is this some indication of something else? Can you
imagine
> being the lucky SOB who is taking time series and observing eclipses
when
> she starts to go into outburst? What if several observers were
monitoring
> this system in U, B, and V at the onset of an outburst? Combine that
with
> the X-ray data and what new things might be learned?
>
> Even SS Cyg may have some surprises left for us as Aaron mentioned in
his
> post regarding the AAS meeting papers. Or throw a Ha filter on your
scope
> and look for the remains of nova-like shells of expanding material
around
> CVs, or do quiescent photometry as Arne alluded to in his post to
CVnet.
>
> The SDSS has discovered a bunch of NL systems that you can monitor
for high
> and low states without waiting for an outburst, as well as several
systems
> worth keeping an eye on because they might turn out to be the next WZ
Sge!
>
> There are also those systems that we know are eclipsing systems that
can
> reveal useful scientific results when in outburst. We're all holding
our
> breath waiting for HT Cas to finally go into superoutburst, but don't
ignore
> GY Cnc, DV UMa, IY UMa, IP Peg and several others I can't remember
off the
> top of my head. EM Cyg is the only known UGZ to exhibit eclipses.
Talk about
> your under-appreciated stars!
>
> Along those lines, there is another mystery to unravel.
Statistically
> speaking, there should be more high inclination systems exhibiting
eclipses.
> Of the 1000 or so known CVs why are so few observed to exhibit
eclipses? Is
> this a real deficit, or are there some well known systems that no one
has
> bothered to check for eclipses or grazing eclipses? Look for more
info on
> this idea in an upcoming CVnet interview with Bill Worraker.
>
> Then there are the oddball stars that defy definition or
understanding, or
> are just plain uncooperative when it comes to obtaining data. I
remember
> when I first started monitoring DW Cnc it was thought to be a NL or
maybe
> UGZ. Now after bringing more attention to it, it has turned out to be
an IP!
> GZ Cnc is another weird boy. FS Aur has stopped outbursting just to
confound
> Joe Patterson and CBA and FY Per is another NL mystery.
>
> V452 Cas used to be active, now no one has heard from her in ages.
Whazzup
> with that? V632 Cyg seems to do the same thing. It will be active off
and on
> for a while and then nothing for ages.
>
> There are a host of stars with long outburst cycles that only the
visual
> observes bother with because the payoff is small for the length of
time
> invested. But when one of these rare puppies goes off everyone jumps
on the
> bandwagon. Hey, that's the name of the game, and there is no shame.
>
> Then there are the new discoveries and the old stuff from the
literature
> that need to be sorted out, not to mention the old novae that still
act up
> and the recurrent novae that tantalize us with the prospect of going
off any
> day without warning.
>
> Even the run of the mill CVs that you'd think have been studied to
death can
> not be counted on to act as the theories predict.
>
> What's next?
>
> Nobody knows. That's what makes this so exciting!
>
>
> Mike Simonsen
>
> *********************************
> C. E. Scovil Observatory
> http://home.mindspring.com/~mikesimonsen/
> AAVSO Chart Team
> charts at aavso.org
> CVnet Administrator
> http://cvnet.aavso.org
>
> **********************************
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