The BV Photometry of the RR Lyrae Star, BH Ursae Majoris: Light Curves and Period Study

Abstract

The first presented BV light curves of BH UMa confirmed Krajci’s (2005) result that BH UMa is an RR Lyr star that belongs to the RRc subgroup. The light curves showed a slight asymmetry of D = 0.453 with an amplitude of about 0.m58 in B, 0.m47 in V, and 0.m11 in B-V and with a small hump between 0.p82 and 0.p86. We determined nine new times of minimum light and eight times of maximum light. We also analyzed all of the available unanalyzed minimum timings and found for the first time that the period of BH UMa has varied dramatically in at least three independent sinusoidal ways superposed on a secularly downward parabola over 66 years. The secular period decreasing rate was obtained as 6.d684 × 10-8 y-1, corresponding to -0.58 s/century. The semi-amplitude and period for each of the three sinusoidal variations were (0.d058, 14.y44), (0.d044, 9.y98), and (0.d005, 0.y97), respectively. It is uncertain whether the periodicity for the shortest period of 0.y97 is real or spurious. The secular period decrease, well consistent with those of the other RRc stars, could be considered as a natural result of the evolution of the BH UMa system. The two possible sinusoidal terms were interpreted as both two light-time effects due to two additional bodies orbiting BH UMa and combinations of random fluctuations in the pulsation period of BH UMa. Two interpretations were shortly discussed with related parameters.

Keywords

• RR Lyr star
• BH UMa
• period change
• light-time effect
• random fluctuations