CR Boo and ASAS J1536-0839

From: Joe Patterson <*jop_at_astro.columbia.edu*> Date: Tue, 04 May 2010 10:39:29 -0400 · jop_at_astro.columbia.edu

OK, more reports from Tom and Gordon Myers convince me: ASAS1536 is a 
target for a bigger telescope.  However... CR Boo is only ~1 mag 
brighter, but is likely a very worthy target for time-series photometry, 
because that is apparently the only way to learn the underlying orbital 
period (the usual modulation is the superhump).  An old paper by 
Provencal et al. DID catch it in a low state, and DID yield a 
photometric period that is taken to be Porb.  But the superhumps of AM 
CVn stars last for at least thousands of orbital cycles before they 
die... so it is never quite certain that you're not being fooled by a
lingering residue ot the superhump.  True stability of the signal is 
really the proper test.

Probably the light curve of the quiescent CR Boo will look flat - but 
might be quite valuable for a hard-to-see periodic signal.

joe

Tom Krajci wrote:
> I just looked at my first light curve on this star.  Yes, mag approx. 
> 18.4...and the light curve looks random/featureless to me.
> 
> I won't cover it again, unless someone says that I'm getting some useful 
> data from it.
> 
> Tom Krajci