(cba:news) Takamizawa-san scores big-time

[Joe Patterson]

Dear CBAers,                                                    1/19/2000

Well the Takamizawa (V85) dwarf nova is certainly an interesting one. Deep 
eclipses (1.6 mag last night), big humps, and reasonably bright (14th).
Appears to be pretty early in the eruption, giving the possibility of
a very well-documented supermax.

A far-northern deep-eclipsing dwarf nova reaching a supermax near 
opposition!  Wow, I've been waiting for this a long time (actually, 
forever).  Definitely a star on which to fire all available weaponry.  
We'll try to cajole some unwary spectroscopists to record the spectroscopic
changes, but most of the information is sure to come from the photometric
record of the moving humps and the changing eclipse profile (as the 
superhump source is eclipsed at different orientations).  That means
you - well, many of you, anyway.  Sorry it's so cold outside (I figure
southerners aren't reading this), but it's worth it!

Jonathan just started a run on the 1.3 m, and we'll keep up with it on 
nights when we think the same-longitude sites are down (Dave West, Cap'n 
Bob, Brian Martin).  Let me or him know your observing plans so we can 
avoid duplication (some overlap is desirable for cross-calibration, but
not a lot).  The total run goes into early February, so we hope to track 
the star all the way to quiescence.  Also, let me know if you'd like to
receive the data - we're just getting started but it promises to be a
humdinger.  

Some of you have asked about the status of other collaborations, esp. with
the Ouda folks.  Personally, I think it would be best to have thorough
collaboration between Ouda and CBA - either sharing all data, or assigning 
all the (pooled) data to one or the other for purposes of writing up the
scientific paper.  Considering the longitudes, that would *greatly* increase
the science returns.  I'm optimistic that we will soon reach one of these 
agreements.  But we're not there yet; instead we basically "agree to
compete", which brings its own set of benefits and penalties.  As far as
you're concerned, though, your data is hard-won and you have every right 
to do whatever you want with it (I'd love to receive it, and so would 
others I assume; so send it to one, or the other, or both - you needn't 
worry about getting astronomers' noses out of joint!).

I'm about to send something off on DV UMa (mostly quiescence and the 1997 
supermax, but with some stuff on the Dec 1999 supermax), so you might
want to send along any unsent data you have.

Some CBAers have written their own papers too, either by virtue of doing 
all the analysis and writing, or dominating the data collection on a 
particular star (in the latter case sometimes I actually write it).  Let me
know if you'd like all the data for any particular star or stars, you're 
certainly eligible to become the prime mover on any of these projects.

Oh yeah - Jonathan is assembling a page with all current information on
people's telescopes/detectors/analysis procedures.  Can you supply that
information?  I just realized this morning that we don't have such a 
thing!

Cold blue norther dominates the Northeast.  Zero F two nights ago, even in
NYC's heat island.  Is it really true that someone was recently 
complaining about southern Arizona?


                  Joe