Time-resolved, multi-color photometry and spectroscopy of Virgo 4 (OU Vir): A high orbital inclination, short orbital period dwarf nova

¹ ESO, Alonso de Cordova 3017, Casilla 19001, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile
² Astrophysics Group, Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85705, USA e-mail: howell@psi.edu
³ Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA e-mail: szkody@astro.washington.edu hoard@astro.washington.edu
⁴ Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA e-mail: tharriso@nmsu.edu holtz@nmsu.edu

Corresponding author: E. Mason, emason@eso.org

Received: 15 July 2002
Accepted: 3 October 2002

Abstract

We present multi-color photometry and time resolved spectroscopy of OU Vir. The analysis of the quiescent light curve shows that OU Vir is characterized by i) strong cycle-to-cycle brightness variations, and ii) hot spot modulated light curve with grazing eclipse of the impact region. Colors are derived both in- and out- of eclipse. The time-resolved spectroscopy allows us to produce the radial velocity curve from the Hα accretion disk emission line which possibly reveals only weak evidence for hot spot line emission. The hot spot is believed to be a turbulent optically thick region, producing mostly continuum emission.