Detection of the 4th caustic crossing in the Gaia16aye binary microlensing system
ATel #9780; I. Khamitov (TUG, Antalya; KFU, Kazan), I. Bikmaev (KFU, AST, Kazan), R. Burenin (IKI, Moscow), S. Grebenev (IKI), M. Tanriver (Erciyes Univ.), A. Avci (Erciyes Univ.), S. Kaynar (TUG), D. Gumus (Ankara Univ.), M. Kocak (TUG), T. Ãzisik (TUG), M. Dindar (TUG), H. Esenoglu (TUG; Istanbul Univ.), H. Kirbiyik (TUG), O. Okuyan (TUG), T. Saygac (Istanbul Univ.), A. Semena (IKI), A. Tkachenko (IKI), E. Irtuganov (KFU, AST), S. Melnikov (KFU, AST), M. Pavlinsky (IKI), N. Sakhibullin (KFU, AST), R. Sunyaev (IKI)
on 22 Nov 2016; 08:52 UT
Credential Certification: Sergei Grebenev (sergei@hea.iki.rssi.ru)
Subjects: Optical, Binary, Microlensing Event
Following the brightening recently detected in the direction of the Gaia16aye binary microlensing system (ATel #9753) and the subsequent prediction for it of the close caustic crossing (ATel #9770) we organized regular observations of the system with the RTT-150 and T-100 telescopes (Antalya, Turkey) and detected the caustic crossing on Nov. 21, 2016, at 17:54 UTC (JD 2457714.246). The preliminary light curve of this spectacular event can be found
here.
It shows data from three last nights of our observations, all colors reduced to the V-filter. The brightness reached V=13.37 in the peak. The peak profile was approximated by a parabola, the time of its maximum was taken as the moment of the caustic crossing.
Gaia16aye is the first binary microlensing event ever discovered towards the Galactic Plane. The observed one was the 4th and last caustic crossing in the system, the previous ones were reported in Atel #9376, #9507. The RTT-150 telescope will continue to observe this unique object.
Ligth curve of Gaia16aye in the V-filter near the moment of caustic crossing
