Forty Years of Mystery: Unraveling BZ UMa (Abstract)

Volume 37 number 2 (2009)

Aaron Price

Grant Foster

Abstract

(Abstract only) The dwarf novae BZ UMa has perplexed astronomers for decades. Activity typical of both UGSU and intermediate polar (IP) dwarf novae have been detected while no expected UGSU type superoutbursts had been detected since the star was discovered in 1968. Finally, the diligence of variable star observers was once again rewarded with a superoutburst in April, 2007. We report on statistical analysis of the 2007 superoutburst and subsequent polarimetry measurements. We integrate all our findings into a proposed description and classification of the system.