This study investigates periodic modulation of the light curve of the RRc star TV Boo and its physical parameters based on photometric data. This phenomenon, known as the Blazhko effect, is quite rare among RRc stars. The frequency analysis based on the data gathered at the Masaryk University Observatory (MUO) and also using SuperWASP data revealed symmetrically structured peaks around the main pulsation frequency and its harmonics, which indicate two modulation components of the Blazhko period. The main modulation periodicity was found to be 9.7374+/-0.0054d. This is one of the shortest known Blazhko periods among RRc stars. The second modulation period (21.5+/-0.2d) causes changes of the Blazhko effect itself. Some indices show that TV Boo could be affected by long-term changes of the order of years. Basic physical parameters were estimated via an MUO V light-curve solution using Fourier parameters. TV Boo seems to be a low-metallicity star with [Fe/H]=-1.89.
I report on the discovery of two cataclysmic variables in the same field in Lyra, originally identified on the base of their magnitudes in the USNO-B1.0 catalog and on Palomar images. The historical light curves were analyzed from 300+ photographic plates of the Moscow collection, covering 35 years of observations. One of the two stars, USNO-B1.0 1320-0390658, is showing rather frequent outbursts from B~20 to B=15.2 and is likely a dwarf nova of the UGSS subtype. The other variable, USNO-B1.0 1321-0397655, with only one observed outburst in 1993, from B~19 to I=11.8, is either an UGWZ dwarf nova or a recurrent nova. In both cases, its next outburst can occur in the nearest future.
We present photometry of two transits of the giant planet WASP-4b with a photometric precision of 400-800 parts per million and a time sampling of 25-40s. The two midtransit times are determined to within 6s. Together with previously published times, the data are consistent with a constant orbital period, giving no compelling evidence for period variations that would be produced by a satellite or additional planets. Analysis of the new photometry, in combination with stellar-evolutionary modeling, gives a planetary mass and radius of 1.237+/-0.064M_Jup_ and 1.365+/-0.021R_Jup_, respectively. The planet is 15% larger than expected based on previously published models of solar-composition giant planets. With data of the quality presented here, the detection of transits of a "super-Earth" of radius 1.75R_{earth}_ would have been possible.
Infrared and optical absolute magnitudes are derived for the type II Cepheids kappa Pav and VY Pyx using revised Hipparcos parallaxes and for kappa Pav, V553 Cen and SW Tau from pulsational parallaxes. Revised Hipparcos and HST parallaxes for RR Lyrae agree satisfactorily and are combined in deriving absolute magnitudes. Phase-corrected J, H and Ks mags are given for 142 Hipparcos RR Lyraes based on Two-Micron All-Sky Survey observations. Pulsation and trigonometrical parallaxes for classical Cepheids are compared to establish the best value for the projection factor (p) used in pulsational analyses.
We have obtained VR photometry of 447 Cepheid variable star candidates with declinations north of -14{deg}30', most of which were identified using the Northern Sky Variability Survey (NSVS) data archive. Periods and other photometric properties were derived from the combination of our data with the NSVS data. Atmospheric parameters were determined for 81 of these stars from low-resolution spectra. The identification of type II Cepheids based on the data presented in all four papers in this series is discussed. On the basis of spectra, 30 type II Cepheids were identified while 53 variables were identified as cool, main sequence stars and 283 as red giants following the definitions in Paper III. An additional 30 type II Cepheids were identified on the basis of light curves. The present classifications are compared with those from the Machine-learned All Sky Automated Survey Classification Catalog for 174 stars in common.
We present new Near-Infrared photometry of Type II Cepheids in the Bulge from the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea survey (VVV) (Minniti et al., 2010NewA...15..433M; Saito et al., 2012A&A...537A.107S, Cat. II/337. We provide the largest sample (894 stars) of T2Cs with JHKs observations that have accurate periods from the OGLE catalog (Soszynski et al., 2017, Cat. J/AcA/67/297). Our analysis makes use of the Ks-band time-series observations to estimate mean-magnitudes and individual distances by means of the Period-Luminosity PL relation. To constrain the kinematic properties of our targets, we complement our analysis with proper motions based on both the VVV and Gaia Data Release 2.
We apply the continuous period search and carrier fit methods on long-term standard Johnson-Cousins V-observations from the years 1995-2010. The observations were carried out with two automated photometric telescopes, Phoenix-10 and Amadeus T7 located in Arizona. We identify complex phase behaviour in 6 of the 15 analysed data segments. We identify five flip-flop events and two cases of phase jumps, where the phase shift is {Delta}{phi}<0.4. In addition we see two mergers of spot regions and two cases where the apparent phase shifts are caused by spot regions drifting with respect to each other. Furthermore we detect variations in the rotation period corresponding to a differential rotation coefficient of |k|>0.031.
Recent progress in the seismic interpretation of field beta Cep stars has resulted in improvements of the physics in the stellar structure and evolution models of massive stars. Further asteroseismic constraints can be obtained from studying ensembles of stars in a young open cluster, which all have similar age, distance and chemical composition. To improve our comprehension of the beta Cep stars, we studied the young open cluster NGC 884 to discover new B-type pulsators, besides the two known beta Cep stars, and other variable stars. An extensive multi-site campaign was set up to gather accurate CCD photometry time series in four filters (U, B, V, I) of a field of NGC 884. The images were calibrated and reduced to transform the CCD frames into interpretable light curves. Various variability indicators and frequency analyses were applied to detect variable stars in the field.
Long-term photometric and spectroscopic observations of the yellow symbiotic star LT Del are analyzed. UBV light curves are presented. Based on the observations of 20 cycles, we have refined the orbital period of the star, P=476.0d+/-1.0d. The brightness has been found to be unstable at some orbital phases with an amplitude up to 0.3m.