Projeto Observacional para 2008B - OI2008B-015

Autor: Raymundo Baptista
Instituição: UFSC
e-mail: bap@astro.ufsc.br

Co-autores:
Tiago Ribeiro de Souza
Fabio Herpic

Título: Astrotomography of UU Aqr in its unusual bright state

Resumo: We intend to use optical high-speed photometry of the nova-like UU Aqr to trace the cause of its recent and unusual 1-mag brightness increase. We will use the data to search for superhumps, determine its period from Fourier analysis, and to use eclipse mapping techniques to test for their explanation in terms of an elliptical precessing disk. If superhumps are not present, we will combine the set of light curves to generate a high-quality average light curve and we will apply eclipse mapping techniques to this curve to search for the presence of spiral structure in its accretion disk. In combination with data collected at other telescopes (1.6m and SOAR) this will allow us to address the question of whether what we see in UU Aqr is consequence of thermal-viscous disk instabilities or sudden changes in mass transfer from the donor star.