Curious Variables Experiment (CURVE). Superhump Period Change Pattern in KS UMa and Other Dwarf Novae

Abstract

We report extensive photometry of the dwarf nova KS UMa throughout its 2003 superoutburst till quiescence. During the superoutburst the star displayed clear superhumps with a mean period of Psh = 0.070092(23) days. In the middle stage of superoutburst the period was increasing with a rate of $\dot P/P = (21\pm12)\times 10^{-5}$ and later was decreasing with a rate of $\dot P/P = -(21\pm8)\times 10^{-5}$. At the end of superoutburst and during first dozen days of quiescence the star was showing late superhumps with a mean period of Plate = 0.06926(2) days. This phenomenon was observed even 30 days after beginning of the superoutburst. In quiescence the star shows quasi-periodic modulations with amplitude reaching 0.5 mag. The most common structure observed during this stage was sinusoidal wave characterized by a period of about 0.1 days. Comparing KS UMa to other SU UMa stars we conclude that this group of dwarf novae shows decreasing superhump periods at the beginning and the end of superoutburst but increasing period in the middle phase.