Letter to the Editor

First Antarctica light curve^*,**,***

PAIX monitoring of the Blazhko RR Lyrae star: S Arae

¹ Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Nice Sophia-Antipolis, UMR 6525, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 02, France e-mail: chadid@unice.fr
² Antarctica Reaserch Station, South Pole TAAF, Antarctica
³ Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Roma Tor Vergata via Della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
⁴ INAF, Rome Astronomical Observatory, via Frascati 33, 00040 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy

Received: 23 April 2010
Accepted: 1 June 2010

Abstract

Context. In the context of long and continuous time-series photometry and after the MOST, CoRoT, KEPLER space missions and large geographic longitude ground-based networks, a new method is offered by the polar location helping to cope with the problem associated with the Earth's day-night cycle.

Aims. We present the first long time -series photometry from Dome Charlie in the heart of Antarctica and analyze ~4400 photometric measurements of RR Lyrae star S Arae obtained in July and August 2007.

Methods. The 40-cm telescope and Photometer AntarctIca eXtinction named PAIX were used for long photometric measurements with high time resolution and a duty cycle of 65%. The Fourier technique was used for the frequency analysis. New high-precision spectroscopic observations of S Arae were also collected using HARPS over one pulsation cycle of S Arae.

Results. We confirm the known radial fundamental period of 0.452 day. The high order of its harmonics shows the nonlinear nature of the radial mode. The Blazhko modulation is directly detected in the spectrum and shows a value around 48 d. Together with the Blazhko frequency we also detected triplet structure components up to 15th order showing a nonlinear behavior of the Blazhko modulation. Thus, we conclude that S Arae is a bona fide Blazhko star. The data reveal that there are irregular changes in the S Arae atmosphere during the Blazhko cycle. A residual scatter phenomenon is detected and is more intense where the nonlinear effects are strongest. Therefore, the connection between temporal hydrodynamic phenomena and such modulation has to be taken into account in Blazhko models.

Conclusions. High-precision CCD photometry with a very good time resolution can be undertaken at Dome Charlie in Antarctica, and it helps to complete astrophysical measurement time-series.