RS Oph - disappearance of optical flickering after the outburst
ATel #832; R. Zamanov, K. Panov (Institute of Astronomy, Sofia, Bulgaria), M. Boer, H. Le Coroller (Observatoire de Haute-Provence, France)
on 9 Jun 2006; 21:54 UT
Credential Certification: R. K. Zamanov (rkz@astro.bas.bg)
Subjects: Optical, Binary, Cataclysmic Variable, Nova
ATel.RSOph3
CCD photometry of the recurrent nova RS Oph has been performed
with the 1.2m telescope at OHP. On 2006 June 9.02 UT, we
estimate B=12.72, V=11.36, R=10.21 with an accuracy ±0.02
in all bands. The brightness of the object is already low and B
magnitude is dropped below the pre-outburst level.Â
   For a 5 hours long observation run, we obtained 143
points in Cousins B, with mean B=12.728±0.014 mag. During our
run, only a trend of fading from B=12.71±0.01 (on 2006
June 08.863) to B=12.74±0.01 (on June 09.083
UT) was
visible.
   We have not detected flickering on minute-to-hour
time scale with amplitude greater than 0.03 mag. The full amplitude of
variability was <0.053 mag (including the observation errors of
±0.010). The standard deviation for the 143 points was only
0.014
mag. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time when no
rapid photometric variability in B band is observed in this
object. Usually in B band, RS Oph exhibits variability on
minute-to-hour time scale with amplitude 0.2-0.3 mag, and
standard deviation 0.050-0.090 mag
(Gromadzki et al. 2006, AcA 56, 97; and references
therein).
   The absence of flickering indicates that the
accretion disk around the white dwarf, is destroyed after the 2006
outburst. For our understanding of the disk-flickering connection in the symbiotic binaries, it
will be important to follow the B band and to detect
when and how the flickering will re-appear (i.e. will it appear first
on minute or on hour time scale).