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J. L. Sokoloski, S. J. Kenyon (Harvard-Smithsonian, CfA)
We describe observations of the rapid optical variations of the symbiotic star CH Cygni on 12 nights between 1997 and 1999. The B-band differential light curves reveal an incredible diversity of flickering behavior, from large-amplitude (up to 0.5 mag) variations with a power-law power spectrum, to lower amplitude (0.1 mag) variations with both power-law and non-power-law power spectra, to the complete absence of rapid variations down to a level of mmag. The series of light curves from observations in 1997/1998 exhibit an evolution from smooth, low-amplitude variations, to high-amplitude flickering with power at all measurable time scales. This evolution may be showing us the re-creation of the inner accretion disc after its disruption in association with the jet that was produced in early 1997 (Karovska et al. 1998). We do not find any evidence for quasi-periodic oscillations in the power spectra of individual light curves, and we believe the instances in which flickering completely disappeared coincide with eclipse of the white dwarf and accretion disc. We discuss the implications of our results for magnetic propeller models of this system, as well as compare CH Cygni to other systems where disc-jet connections have been proposed, such as the Galactic microquasar GRS 1915+105.
This work was funded in part by NSF grant INT-9902665 to J.L.S.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: jsokoloski@cfa.harvard.edu