The 3.5-Hour Photometric Period in V603 Aquilae (Abstract)

Volume 20 number 2 (1991)

Gino Thomas

Department of Astronomy, Columbia Universitym, New York, NY

Abstract

(Abstract only) 29 nights of observation in the summer of 1991 show a 3.5-hour period in the light curve of V603 Aql (Nova Aql 1918). This period, a few percent longer than the orbital period, changes slightly over time. The change in the photometric period is difficult to understand in terms of the energy and angular momentum budgets of the system. V603 Aql, and other stars that possibly show the same phenomenon, such as TT Ari, are fairly bright. Long term monitoring, but photoelectric and visual, could be of great value in understanding the origin of these mysterious period changes.