[vsnet-alert 16473] Re: Next HST observations: BB Ari

[Boris Gaensicke]

Dear All,

the HST observations of BB Ari were approved last Thursday, thank
you so much for your help in getting there! The very intense monitoring
of the star in the last ~48h leading up to the go/no-go decision was
essential to convince STScI that the system was safe to observe.

(any additional detection brighter than 17.8 during those 48h,
and the observations would have been cancelled, with the HST
time lost ... this was really a close call!)

I received the data, and this may sound a bit boring by now: we got
another beautiful spectrum of an accreting CV white dwarf. But
this is what this program is all about - gathering as many observations
of CVs where we can detect the white dwarf, from which we will
eventually measure their masses, and come up with a clear
answer (well, that's the hope) to the question whether white
dwarfs in CVs can grow in mass ... and if the answer is "yes",
that would be some exciting news for the ongoing discussion
on SNIa progenitors.

BB Ari was the 40th target in our program, and all but
one observations were approved to go ahead. This is
a wonderful success story. Thanks again - you made it happen!

Now all that's left is one more HST observation, next
March: SDSS1006+2337. I'll get back in touch some weeks
before then, but in the meantime I wish you clear skies
for all the other exciting projects that you are involved in!

Best wishes,

Boris

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For more information on this HST program, see

http://deneb.astro.warwick.ac.uk/phsdaj/public_html/12870/
http://deneb.astro.warwick.ac.uk/phsdaj/public_html/12870/Targets.html