I. M. Khamitov

On the Change of the Inner Boundary of an Optically Thick Accretion Disk around White Dwarfs Using the Dwarf Nova SS Cyg as an Example

We present the results of our studies of the aperiodic optical flux variability for SS Cyg, an accreting binary systemwith a white dwarf. The main set of observational data presented here was obtained with the ANDOR/iXon DU-888 photometer mounted on the RTT-150 telescope, which allowed a record (for CCD photometers) time resolution up to 8 ms to be achieved. The power spectra of the source’s flux variability have revealed that the aperiodic variability contains information about the inner boundary of the optically thick flow in the binary system. We show that the inner boundary of the optically thick accretion disk comes close to the white dwarf surface at the maximum of the source’s bolometric light curve, i.e., at the peak of the instantaneous accretion rate onto the white dwarf, while the optically thick accretion disk is truncated at distances 8.5 × 109 cm ∼10RWD in the low state. We suggest that the location of the inner boundary of the accretion disk in the binary can be traced by studying the parameters of the power spectra for accreting white dwarfs. In particular, this allows the mass of the accreting object to be estimated.

Analysis of optical light curves for the components of the gravitationally lensed quasar SBS 1520+530 based on observations with the 1.5-m RTT-150 telescope in 2001-2005

We present the Rc-band light curves for components A and B of the gravitationally lensed quasar SBS 1520+530 obtained during 2001–2005 with the 1.5-m Russian-Turkish Telescope (RTT-150) at the TUBITAK National Observatory (Turkey). Based on an analysis of the data for the period 2001–2002, we have estimated the time delay of the brightness fluctuations between components A and B of the quasar to be 128 days. This time delay agrees with its previously published values for the periods 1999–2001 and 2003–2004. Using all of the published data on the brightnesses of components A and B of SBS 1520+530 for the 6-year period, we have found at least two microlensing events. One event has the pattern of a long-term linear trend; the duration of the other event is several hundred days.

The first hours of the optical afterglow from the cosmic gamma-ray burst 030329

We describe the first results of our observations of the exceptionally bright optical afterglow from the cosmic gamma-ray burst (GRB) of March 29, 2003 (030329), with the 1.5-m Russian-Turkish telescope (RTT150) installed at the TUBITAK National Observatory (Turkey) at Mount Bakyrlytepe. RTT150 was one of the first medium-class telescopes pointed at the afterglow. The observations began as early as about six hours after the GRB. During the first five hours of our observations, the BV RI flux fell off exactly as a power law with the same slope −1.19±0.01. Subsequently, in all of the BV RI bands, we observed the same increase in the power-law slope of the light curve to a value that was later recorded during the observations at observatories in the western hemisphere. The break in the power-law light curve occurs at t − t0 ≈ 0.57 days (13.5 h) and lasts for about 0.2 days. Apart from this smooth decrease in the flux, the afterglow exhibited no flux variability. The upper limits on the variability are 10–1% on time scales of 0.1–1000 s, respectively. The BV RI spectral flux distribution during the first night of our observations closely corresponds to a power-law spectrum with a spectral index α=0.66±0.01. The change in the power-law slope of the light curve at the end of our observations is probably attributable to the deceleration of the ultrarelativistic jet to a gamma factor when its structural features begin to show up in the light curve. The radio, optical, and X-ray broadband spectrum is consistent with the assumption about the synchrotron radiation of the ultrarelativistic jet. This unique object continues to be observed with RTT150.We present the first results of the observations of the extrem ely bright optical afterglow of gamma-ray burst (GRB) 030329 with the 1.5m Russian-Turkish telescope RTT150 (T ¨ UBITAK National Observatory, Bakyrlytepe, Turkey). RTT150 was one of the first 1.5m-class telescopes pointed to the aftergl ow. Observations were started approximately 6 hours after the burst. During the first 5 hours of our observations the afterg low faded exactly as a power law with index −1.19 ± 0.01 in each of the BVRI Bessel filters. After that, in all BVRI filters simultaneously we observe a steepening of the power law light curve. The power law decay index smoothly approaches the value ≈ −1.9, observed by other observatories later. This power law break occurs at t − t0 ≈ 0.57 days and lasts for ≈ ±0.1 days. We observe no variability above the gradual fading with the upper limits 10‐1% on time scales 0.1‐1000 s. Spectral flux distribution in four BVRI filters corr esponds to the power law spectrum with spectral index α = 0.66 ± 0.01. The change of the power law decay index in the end of our observations can be interpreted as a signature of coll imated ultrarelativistic jet. The afterglow flux distribut ion in radio, optical and x-rays is consistent with synchrotron sp ectrum. We continue our observations of this unique object with RTT150.

Fast optical variability of SS 433

We study the variability of the optical flux from the peculiar Galactic source SS 433 based on observations with the Russian-Turkish 1.5-m telescope. We describe in detail the technique of highquality photometric measurements with a time resolution of 0.3–1 s using an ordinary CCD. Through test observations of nonvariable stars, we show that atmospheric turbulence introduces no significant distortions into the light curves. Therefore, such data are well suited for studying the aperiodic variability of various objects.A large set of light-curve measurements for SS 433 obtained in this way has allowed us to obtain the power spectra of its flux variability with a record sensitivity up to frequencies of ∼0.5 Hz and to detect its break at a frequency of about 2.4 × 10−3 Hz. We suggest that the detected break in the power spectrum results from the smoothing of the optical flux variability due to a finite size of the emitting region. Based on our measurement of the break frequency in the power spectrum, we have estimated the size of the accretion-disk photosphere to be ≈2 × 1012 cm. We show that the amplitude of the variability in SS 433 decreases sharply during accretion-disk eclipses, but it does not disappear completely. This suggests that the size of the variable optical emission source is comparable to that of the normal star whose size is RO ≈ 2 × 1012 cm ≈ 30R⊙. The decrease in flux variability amplitude during eclipses shows the presence of a nonvariable optical emission component with a magnitude mR ≈ 13.2.

Measurement of the orbital period of the X-ray burster GS 1826-238 based on observations of its optical brightness variations

The variability of the optical and X-ray fluxes from the binary GS 1826-238 is investigated. An epoch-folding analysis of the optical data obtained with the RTT-150 telescope in 2003–2004 has revealed periodic brightness variations in the source with a period Porb = 2.24940 ± 0.00015 h with a high statistical significance. When estimating the detection significance of the periodic signal, we have specially taken into account the presence of a powerful aperiodic component (“red noise”) in the source’s brightness variability. The source’s power density spectra in the frequency range ∼10−5–0.01 Hz have been obtained. We have detected a statistically significant break in the power density spectrum of GS 1826-238 at a frequency νbr ≈ (8.48 ± 0.14) × 10−5 Hz in both optical and X-ray energy bands. We have estimated the orbital period of the binary GS 1826-238 using the correlation between the break frequency in the power density spectrum and the orbital period of binaries, Porb ∝ 1/νbr, found by Gilfanov and Arefiev (2005): Porb = 3.7 ± 0.8 h and Porb = 11.3 ± 5.9 h when using Sco X-1 and 1H 16267-273, respectively, as reference sources. It seems to us that the method for estimating the orbital periods of low-mass X-ray binaries using the correlation Porb ∝ 1/νbr may turn out to be very promising, especially for persistent low-luminosity X-ray binaries.

Additional spectroscopic redshift measurements for galaxy clusters from the first Planck catalogue

We present the results of spectroscopic redshift measurements for the galaxy clusters from the first all-sky Planck catalogue that have been mostly identified based on the optical observations performed previously by our team (Planck Collaboration 2015a). Data on 13 galaxy clusters at redshifts from z ≈ 0.2 to z ≈ 0.8, including the improved identification and redshift measurement for the cluster PSZ1 G141.73+14.22 at z = 0.828, are provided. We have performed the measurements based on data from the Russian–Turkish 1.5-m telescope (RTT-150), the 2.2-m Calar Alto Observatory telescope, and the 6-m SAO RAS telescope (Bolshoy Teleskop Azimutalnyi, BTA).

Observations of the optical afterglow from GRB 060526 with the RTT-150 telescope

We present the results of the photometric multicolor observations of GRB 060526 optical afterglow obtained with Russian-Turkish 1.5-m Telescope (RTT150, Mt. Bakirlitepe, Turkey). The detailed measurements of afterglow light curve, starting from about 5 hours after the GRB and during 5 consecutive nights were done. In addition, upper limits on the fast variability of the afterglow during the first night of observations were obtained and the history of afterglow color variations was measured in detail. In the time interval from 6 to 16 hours after the burst, there is a gradual flux decay, which can be described approximately as a power law with an index of -1.14+-0.02. After that the variability on the time scale delta t < t is observed and the afterglow started to decay faster. The color of the afterglow, V-R=~0.5, is approximately the same during all our observations. The variability is detected on time scales up to delta t/t =~ 0.0055 at Delta F_nu/F_nu =~ 0.3, which violates some constraints on the variability of the observed emission from ultrarelativistic jet obtained by Ioka et al. (2005). We suggest to explain this variability by the fact that the motion of the emitting shell is no longer ultrarelativistic at this time.Multicolor photometric observations of the optical afterglow from GRB 060526 with the Russian-Turkish 1.5-m RTT-150 telescope (Mount Bakyrlytepe, Turkey) are presented. The afterglow light curve was measured in detail starting from about 5 h after the GRB and over five ensuing nights. In addition, upper limits were obtained on the rapid variability of the afterglow on the first night of observations and the history of afterglow color variations was measured in detail. In the time interval from 6 to 16 h after the burst, the flux gradually decreased approximately as a power law with a slope of −1.14 ± 0.02. Subsequently, variability was observed on a time scale δt < t and the afterglow began to decay much faster. The afterglow color was approximately constant (V−R ≈ 0.5) throughout the observations, despite the flux variability. Variability time scales up to δt/t ≈ 0.0055 were observed at ΔFν/Fν ≈ 0.3, which violates many constraints on the variability of the observed emission from an ultrarelativistic jet obtained by Ioka et al. (2005). We suggest explaining this variability by the fact that the shell motion is no longer ultrarelativistic at this time.

Deep eclipses in the cataclysmic variable 1RXS J020929.0+283243

Our observations with the 1.5-m Russian-Turkish Telescope (RTT150) in October 2005 as part of the program for identifying ROSAT X-ray sources revealed deep eclipses in the cataclysmic variable 1RXS J020929.0+283243 in Triangulum. We determined the orbital period of the binary (96.26 min) and the range of its magnitude variations . Due to the favorable geometry (the orbital inclination is close to 90°), the light curve exhibits eclipses of the white dwarf by the secondary component and eclipses of the hot spot by the white dwarf itself.

Disk Precession and Quasi-Periodic Brightness Oscillations of V603 Aql in 2001-2002

AbstractWe present the photometric observations of the old nova V603 Aql with the RTT 150 Russian-Turkish telescope during eleven nights of 2001–2002. We show that the star at this time was in a state with positive superhumps and its photometric period of n