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arXiv · 0905.1757

Survey of Period Variations of Superhumps in SU UMa-Type Dwarf Novae

Abstract

We systematically surveyed period variations of superhumps in SU UMa-type dwarf novae based on newly obtained data and past publications. In many systems, the evolution of superhump period are found to be composed of three distinct stages: early evolutionary stage with a longer superhump period, middle stage with systematically varying periods, final stage with a shorter, stable superhump period. During the middle stage, many systems with superhump periods less than 0.08 d show positive period derivatives. Contrary to the earlier claim, we found no clear evidence for variation of period derivatives between superoutburst of the same object. We present an interpretation that the lengthening of the superhump period is a result of outward propagation of the eccentricity wave and is limited by the radius near the tidal truncation. We interpret that late stage superhumps are rejuvenized excitation of 3:1 resonance when the superhumps in the outer disk is effectively quenched. Many of WZ Sge-type dwarf novae showed long-enduring superhumps during the post-superoutburst stage having periods longer than those during the main superoutburst. The period derivatives in WZ Sge-type dwarf novae are found to be strongly correlated with the fractional superhump excess, or consequently, mass ratio. WZ Sge-type dwarf novae with a long-lasting rebrightening or with multiple rebrightenings tend to have smaller period derivatives and are excellent candidate for the systems around or after the period minimum of evolution of cataclysmic variables (abridged).

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Taichi Kato, Akira Imada, Makoto Uemura, Daisaku Nogami, Hiroyuki Maehara, Ryoko Ishioka, Hajime Baba, Katsura Matsumoto, Hidetoshi Iwamatsu, Kaori Kubota, Kei Sugiyasu, Yuichi Soejima, Yuuki Moritani, Tomohito Ohshima, Hiroyuki Ohashi, Junpei Tanaka, Mahito Sasada, Akira Arai, Kazuhiro Nakajima, Seiichiro Kiyota, Kenji Tanabe, Kayuyoshi Imamura, Nanae Kunitomi, Kenji Kunihiro, Hiroki Taguchi, Mitsuo Koizumi, Norimi Yamada, Yuichi Nishi, Mayumi Kida, Sawa Tanaka, Rie Ueoka, Hideki Yasui, Koichi Maruoka, Arne Henden, Arto Oksanen, Marko Moilanen, Petri Tikkanen, Mika Aho, Berto Monard, Hiroshi Itoh, Pavol A. Dubovsky, Igor Kudzej, Radka Dancikova, Tonny Vanmunster, Jochen Pietz, Greg Bolt, David Boyd, Peter Nelson, Thomas Krajci, Lewis M. Cook, Ken'ichi Torii, Donn R. Starkey, Jeremy Shears, Lasse-Teist Jensen, Gianluca Masi, Rudolf Novak, Tomas Hynek, Radek Kocian, Lukas Kral, Hana Kucakova, Marek Kolasa, Petr Stastny, Bart Staels. 2009-05-12. Survey of Period Variations of Superhumps in SU UMa-Type Dwarf Novae. https://doi.org/10.1093/pasj%2F61.sp2.s395

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