SS Cygni: An analysis of quasi-periodic oscillations in the range of 0.25h to 8h

TL;DR

This study analyzes over 66,000 measurements of SS Cygni to identify quasi-periodic oscillations mainly during quiescent phases, revealing new insights into its variability patterns.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of QPOs in SS Cygni across a wide range of periods, highlighting their occurrence during quiescence, which was previously understudied.

Findings

QPOs range from a few minutes to a few hours.

Most QPOs have periods around 30 minutes.

QPOs are more common during quiescent phases.

Abstract

Presented here is an analysis of over 66,000 magnitude measurements, made by the author, of the cataclysmic variable SS Cygni in two photometric filters (Cousins R and Johnson V). This large number of measurements, along with their cadence, is sufficient to analyse the light curve for quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) ranging from a few minutes to a few hours with the most frequently found QPOs having periods of 30 minutes (48 cycles/day). These QPOs occur predominantly during quiescent phases rather than outbursts, representing a previously understudied aspect of SS Cygni's variability.