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J. Kim-Quijano, D.W. Hoard, S. Wachter (CTIO)
We present an orbital period for the double-lined cataclysmic variable (CV) Phe 1, derived from time-resolved CCD photometry using the 0.9m telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. The CV nature of Phe 1 was first confirmed spectroscopically in 1997 by Hoard & Wachter; in addition to emission lines of \ion{H}{1} and \ion{He}{1}, TiO bands characteristic of the late type secondary star were also observed. A period of 0.27 d has been determined with the Phase Dispersion Minimization algorithm from the differential V and I light curves taken over 6 consecutive nights in 1998. The light curves show a full range of variation of approximately 0.5 and 0.3 mag in V and I, respectively. When the data are folded on this period, minima of different depths are observed, implying primary and secondary eclipses as possible causes of the variation. Two other mechanisms may contribute to the variability observed in Phe 1: ellipsoidal variation of the distorted secondary star and/or viewing its irradiation-heated inner face. A radial velocity study to determine the component masses is currently underway. This research was carried out as part of the 1999 Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program at CTIO, funded by the National Science Foundation.
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