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J.W. Robertson (Arkansas Tech University), R.K. Honeycutt (Indiana University)
The ability to establish the time of maximum light is important for many different types of variable stars. We present a method for accurately timing superoutbursts in SU UMa-type cataclysmic variables. The shape of superoutbursts in SU UMa stars are very uniform for any individual star (although widely varying from star to star). Their also exists a smooth linear decline after maximum light that lasts several days. By observing a star during this period, only two observations separated by hours to days are required to make a linear fit, enabling accurate timings to be obtained without regard to maximum light of the superoutburst itself.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: jeff.robertson@mail.atu.edu