ULTRACAM photometry of the eclipsing cataclysmic variables GY Cnc, IR Com and HT Cas

Abstract

We present high-speed, three-colour photometry of the eclipsing cataclysmic variables GY Cnc, IR Com and HT Cas. We find that the sharp eclipses in GY Cnc and IR Com are due to eclipses of the white dwarf. There is some evidence for a bright spot on the edge of the accretion disc in GY Cnc, but not in IR Com. Eclipse mapping of HT Cas is presented which shows changes in the structure of the quiescent accretion disc. Observations in 2002 show the accretion disc to be invisible except for the presence of a bright spot at the disc edge. 2003 observations, however, clearly show a bright inner disc and the bright spot to be much fainter than in 2002. Although no outburst was associated with either set of quiescent observations, the system was ~0.6 mJy brighter in 2003, mainly due to the enhanced emission from the inner disc. We propose that these changes are due to variations in the mass transfer rate from the secondary star and through the disc. The disc colours indicate that it is optically thin in both its inner and outer regions. We estimate the white dwarf temperature of HT Cas to be 15 000 +/- 1000 K in 2002 and 14 000 +/- 1000 K in 2003.