U SCORPII

Abstract

U SCORPII
H. L. Worters, South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO);
S. P. S. Eyres and M. T. Rushton, University of Central Lancashire;
and B. Schaefer, Louisiana State University, report that the
resumption of optical flickering in the recurrent nova U Sco was
detected on Feb. 5.174-5.222 UT, only eight days after the most
recent outburst (Jan. 28.4743 UT; cf. IAUC 9111). Flickering was
not apparent in any of the observations on each night from Jan. 29
to Feb. 3 with the SAAO 1.9-m telescope and CCD camera. The
amplitude of flickering is around 0.2 mag over the course of an
hour, consistent with accretion resuming in the system. This means
that the ejecta are now becoming optically thin, and an accretion
disk has already been re-established, placing a lower limit of 7
days on this event. Further observations are urged to follow
development of this rapidly changing recurrent nova, including
characterizing eclipses that should now be visible again.