Evidence of optical flares in quiescent SXTs

Zurita, C.; Casares, J.; Shahbaz, T.
Bibliographical reference

The Physics of Cataclysmic Variables and Related Objects, ASP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 261. Edited by B. T. Gänsicke, K. Beuermann, and K. Reinsch. ISBN: 1-58381-101-X. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2002, p. 573.

Advertised on:
1
2002
Number of authors
3
IAC number of authors
3
Citations
2
Refereed citations
2
Description
We present the results of optical fast photometry of five SXTs in quiescence: V404 Cyg, A 0620--00, J 0422+32, GS 2000+25 and Cen X--4 and report the evidence of fast optical variations with timescales from minutes to a few hours and amplitudes from 0.06 to 0.6 mag, superimposed on the classical ellipsoidal light curve. We find no coherent periodicity. The physical origin of this variability is unknown although we favour an origin in the accretion disc.