Photometry of the SW Sex-type nova-like BH Lyncis in high state

Aims: We present a photometric study of the deeply eclipsing SW Sex-type nova-like cataclysmic variable star BH Lyn Methods: Time-resolved V-band CCD photometry was obtained for seven nights between 1999 and 2004. Results: We determined 11 new eclipse timings of BH Lyn and derived a refined orbital ephemeris with an orbital period of 0.155875577(14) day. During the observations, BH Lyn was in high-state with V~15.5 mag. The star presents ~1.5 mag deep eclipses with mean full-width at half-flux of 0.0683(+/-0.0054)P_orb. The eclipse shape is highly variable, even changing form cycle to cycle. This is most likely due to accretion disc surface brightness distribution variations, most probably caused by strong flickering. Time-dependent accretion disc self-occultation or variations of the hot spot(s) intensity are also possible explanations. Negative superhumps with period of ~0.145 day are detected in two long runs in 2000. A possible connection between SW Sex and negative superhump phenomena through the presence of tilted accretion disc is discussed, and a way to observationally test this is suggested

Photometric study of selected cataclysmic variables II. Time-series photometry of nine systems

We present time-series photometry of nine cataclysmic variables: EI UMa, V844Her, V751 Cyg, V516 Cyg, GZ Cnc, TY Psc, V1315 Aql, ASAS J002511+1217.12, V1315 Aql and LN UMa. The observations were conducted at various observatories, covering 170 hours and comprising 7,850 data points in total. For the majority of targets we confirm previously reported periodicities and for some of them we give, for the first time, their spectroscopic orbital periods. For those dwarf-nova systems which we observed during both quiescence and outburst, the increase in brightness was followed by a decrease in the amount of flickering. Quasi-periodic oscillations have either been discovered, or were confirmed. For the eclipsing system V1315 Aql we have covered 9 eclipses, and obtained a refined orbital ephemeris. We find that, during its long baseline of observations, no change in the orbital period of this system has occurred. V1315 Aql also shows eclipses of variable depth.Comment: 30 pages, 16 figures, 4 tables. Submitted to JA

Electron effective mass in unintentionally doped In0.33_{0.33}Ga0.67_{0.67}N determined by mid-infrared optical Hall effect

Mid-infrared optical Hall effect measurements are used to determine the free charge carrier parameters of an unintentionally doped wurtzite-structure $c$-plane oriented In$_{0.33}$Ga$_{0.67}$N epitaxial layer. Room temperature electron effective mass parameters of $m^{*}_{\bot}=(0.205 \pm 0.013)~m_0$ and $m^{*}_{\parallel}=(0.204 \pm 0.016)~m_0$ for polarization perpendicular and parallel to the $c$-axis, respectively, were determined. The free electron concentration was obtained as $(1.7 \pm 0.2)\times 10^{19}~$cm$^{-3}$. Within our uncertainty limits we detect no anisotropy for the electron effective mass parameter and we estimate the upper limit of the possible effective mass anisotropy is 7$\%$. We discuss the influence of band nonparabolicity on the electron effective mass parameter as a function of In content. The effective mass parameter is consistent with a linear interpolation scheme between the conduction band mass parameters in GaN and InN when the strong nonparabolicity in InN is included. The In$_{0.33}$Ga$_{0.67}$N electron mobility parameters were found to be anisotropic supporting previous experimental findings for wurtzite-structure GaN, InN, and Al$_{x}$Ga$_{1-x}$N epitaxial layers with $c$-plane growth orientation.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Correcting second-order contamination in low-resolution spectra

An empirical method for correcting low-resolution astronomical spectra for second-order contamination is presented. The method was developed for correcting spectra obtained with grism #4 of the ALFOSC spectrograph at the Nordic Optical Telescope and the performance is demonstrated on spectra of two nearby bright Type Ia supernovae.Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomical Notes (Astronomische Nachrichten

The peculiar extinction law of SN2014J measured with The Hubble Space Telescope

The wavelength-dependence of the extinction of Type Ia SN2014J in the nearby galaxy M82 has been measured using UV to near-IR photometry obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope, the Nordic Optical Telescope, and the Mount Abu Infrared Telescope. This is the first time that the reddening of a SN Ia is characterized over the full wavelength range of $0.2$-$2$ microns. A total-to-selective extinction, $R_V\geq3.1$, is ruled out with high significance. The best fit at maximum using a Galactic type extinction law yields $R_V = 1.4\pm0.1$. The observed reddening of SN2014J is also compatible with a power-law extinction, $A_{\lambda}/A_V = \left( {\lambda}/ {\lambda_V} \right)^{p}$ as expected from multiple scattering of light, with $p=-2.1\pm0.1$. After correction for differences in reddening, SN2014J appears to be very similar to SN2011fe over the 14 broad-band filter light curves used in our study.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ