Photometric Variability of the mCP Star CS Vir: Evolution of the Rotation Period

TL;DR

This study precisely measures the rotation period of the mCP star CS Vir using five years of STEREO data, discovers a gradual lengthening of its period likely due to magnetic braking, and estimates a relatively short spin-down timescale.

Contribution

It provides the first evidence of period variation in CS Vir and refines its rotation period using combined observational data and advanced computational methods.

Findings

Rotation period refined to 9.29572 days.

Detected period lengthening of 66 seconds per century.

Estimated spin-down timescale of approximately 10^6 years.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to accurately calculate the rotational period of CS\,Vir by using {\sl STEREO} observations and investigate a possible period variation of the star with the help of all accessible data. The {\sl STEREO} data that cover five-year time interval between 2007 and 2011 are analyzed by means of the Lomb-Scargle and Phase Dispersion Minimization methods. In order to obtain a reliable rotation period and its error value, computational algorithms such as the Levenberg-Marquardt and Monte-Carlo simulation algorithms are applied to the data sets. Thus, the rotation period of CS\,Vir is improved to be 9.29572(12) days by using the five-year of combined data set. Also, the light elements are calculated as $HJD_\mathrm{max} = 2\,454\,715.975(11) + 9_{\cdot}^\mathrm{d}29572(12) \times E + 9_{\cdot}^\mathrm{d}78(1.13) \times 10^{-8} \times E^2$ by means of the extremum times derived from the {\sl STEREO} light curves and archives. Moreover, with this study, a period variation is revealed for the first time, and it is found that the period has lengthened by 0.66(8) s y$^{-1}$, equivalent to 66 seconds per century. Additionally, a time-scale for a possible spin-down is calculated around $\tau_\mathrm{SD} \sim 10^6$ yr. The differential rotation and magnetic braking are thought to be responsible of the mentioned rotational deceleration. It is deduced that the spin-down time-scale of the star is nearly three orders of magnitude shorter than its main-sequence lifetime ($\tau_\mathrm{MS} \sim 10^9$ yr). It is, in return, suggested that the process of increase in the period might be reversible.