Proposal #54

I propose to perform a study of the BCEP variable BW Vul using the BSMs. A compilation of historical data on this star* (Sterken, 1993) suggests a gradual increase in its period of +2.8 seconds per century based upon a parabolic O-C plot. Review of the AID over the past 20 years shows some scattered visual observations. There are 3 BV sets taken during photometric conditions in 2011/2012 with the original BSM, 1 with BSM-HQ in 2015, and 2 more with BSM-NM in 2013. These data are certainly not enough to obtain any knowledge of the light curve, other than to calculate a mean color (Henden, 2015 – personal communication). I therefore request that as many 4 to 6 hour BVRI time series with a cadence of ~10 minutes be performed on BW Vul as telescope time permits over a 1 year period. The data generated from this project should allow for modeling of the light curve and the generation of a new ephemeris. Thank you for your consideration.
* Astron. Astrophys. 270, 259-264

- David Cowall (cwd)