[vsnet-alert 4087] TmzV85 rapid fading and eclipse, and more

[Taichi Kato <tkato>]

TmzV85 rapid fading and eclipse, and more

Dear Colleagues,

    We have ontained a successful 12-hour run on last night (Jan. 27)
at Kyoto (Makoto Uemura and Taichi Kato).  A preliminary partial analysis
of the data shows deep eclipses (2.6 mag deep), with a full width at the
half light of 0.07 orbital period.  The eclipse profile, however, still
shows a smooth ingress and egress (disk-like, rather than a point-like)
at a time resolution of 30 sec.  Preceding observations by Tonny Vanmunster
(Jan. 26) seems to confirm that the smooth light variation, together with
the remarkable narrowing of the eclipse.  Observers are strongly urged to
use short-time exposures to spatially resolve the structure of the fading
accretion disk, rather than trying to get a high S/N with a low time
resolution.

    Superhumps were very elegantly caught on the collaboration light curve
(see the WWW page) until Jan. 26, but were reduced in amplitude on Jan. 27.
The presense of superhumps can be still traced on the combined light curve,
whose signature is confirmed by the presence of the continuous phase shift.

    This work has been one of the most spectacular in the history of VSNET,
and will be memorable as the combination of the keen sight and insight of
Kesao Takamizawa, the continuous years-long efforts of visual and CCD
observers to monitor this object -- finally leading to the discovery of the
second historical outburst by Patrick Schmeer, the wonderful simultaneous
discovery of eclipses and superhumps, first-ever in the CV research history,
the existence of VSNET as an alert medium to timely provide the information,
and patient CCD observers to pin down its nature.  Without any one of them,
this remarkable discovery would not have been achieved!  We will concentrate
on this object until it completely fades away, and the VSNET collaboration
team will be going to invoke necessary observing campaigns when it erupts
again (in a year or years?).

    TmzV85 will continue providing one of the best laboratories in dwarf
nova physics, the one we had been seeking for a decade or more, and whose
discovery will be memorized long in the history as one of the most successful
amateur-professional collaborations in astronomy.  What has been a wonderful
opening of the millennium!

Regards,
on behalf of The VSNET TmzV85 collaboration team:
Makoto Uemura, Taichi Kato, Katsura Matsumoto, Rudolf Novak, Tonny Vanmunster,
Lasse Teist Jensen, Denis Buczynski, Marko Moilanen, Timo Kinnunen

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