Outburst characteristics of the dwarf nova V452 Cassiopeiae

Abstract

V452 Cas was thought to have rare outbursts, but monitoring from 2005 to 2008 has shown that the outburst interval is about one month and is weakly periodic. Observations of seven superoutbursts over the same period shows a very repeatable superoutburst period of 146 +/-16 days. Time series photometry of the 2007 September superoutburst shows that the outburst reached magnitude 15.3 at maximum and had an amplitude of 3.2 magnitudes. The outburst lasted for 12 days. Early superhumps with an amplitude of 0.3 magnitudes and period of Psh = 0.08943(7) days gave way to superhumps with decreasing amplitude and Psh = 0.08870(2) days later in the outburst, corresponding to a continuous period change Pdot/P = -9(2)x10-4 d-1 . V452 Cas has one of the smallest outburst amplitudes and shortest superoutburst periods of typical UGSU systems.