RZ Cassiopeia: Eclipsing Binary with Pulsating Component

TL;DR

This study presents time-resolved photometry of the eclipsing binary RZ Cas, revealing rapid pulsations and variability potentially linked to high-mass transfer events, highlighting the need for further detailed observations.

Contribution

First detailed time-resolved photometry of RZ Cas showing rapid pulsations and variability linked to accretion processes.

Findings

Detected rapid pulsations with a period of about 22 minutes.

Observed high-amplitude variability possibly due to high-mass transfer.

Identified the need for follow-up spectroscopic and photometric studies.

Abstract

We report time-resolved VR-band CCD photometry of the eclipsing binary RZ Cas obtained with 38-cm Cassegrain telescope at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory during July 2004 - October 2005. Obtained lightcurves clearly demonstrates rapid pulsations with the period about 22 minutes. Periodogram analysis of such oscillations also is reported. On the 12, January, 2005 we observed rapid variability with higher amplitude (~0.^m 1) that, perhaps, may be interpreted as high-mass-transfer-rate event and inhomogeneity of accretion stream. Follow-up observations (both, photometric and spectroscopic) of RZ Cas are strictly desirable for more detailed study of such event.