A&A 384, L6-L9 (2002)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20020122

Letter

RX And: An intermediate between Z Cam and VY Scl stars

M. R. Schreiber¹, B. T. Gänsicke^{1, 2} and J. A. Mattei<sup>3

1</sup>  Universitäts-Sternwarte, Geismarlandstr.11, 37083 Göttingen, Germany
²  Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
³  American Association of Variable Star Observers, 25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

(Received 2 January 2002 / Accepted 22 January 2002 )

Abstract
We present the AAVSO long term visual light curve of RX And. The system has been classified as a Z Cam-type dwarf nova, showing alternating standstills and dwarf nova outbursts. Our data reveal that RX And has also characteristics of a VY Scl star, remaining for extended periods in a low state ~3.5 mag fainter than the standstill with no detectable outbursts. We discuss this result in the context of mass transfer variations in CVs and the still poorly understood VY Scl phenomenon.

Key words: accretion, accretion discs -- binaries: close -- stars: individual: RX And -- novae, cataclysmic variables

Offprint request: M. R. Schreiber, mschrei@uni-sw.gwdg.de

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