[vsnet-campaign-nl 181] BZ Cam outburst!

[Taichi Kato]

   Although more postings are expected from Ohshima-san, I maka
a quick notification of this outburst.

   Itoh-san has reported significant brightening of BZ Cam.
The object experienced a faint state in 1999 (IBVS 5077,
A&A 376, 1031), then followed by a sharp rise in early 2000.
The object started to fade gradually from V=12.0 to 13.3 until
this December.  The long-term variation is somewhat unlike from
typical NL-type CV with a more constant mean magnitude.

   I have an impression that the long-term light curve more resembles
that of a supersoft X-ray source, such as QR And.
Given the rather unusual properties, including the presence of
bow-shock nebula atypical for a CV and photo-ionized emission
nebula (see Greiner et al. 2001 above), the object may be better
understood as a (low-luminosity?) supersoft X-ray
binary rather than a classical novalike system (see also discussion
by Greiner et al.).

  This renewed activity could provide an opportunity to further
qualify the above (and Greiner et al.'s) interpretation.

  YYYYMMDD(UT)   mag  observer
  20071123.828  131V  (Hiroshi Itoh)
  20071123.962   131  (Gary Poyner)
  20071128.899   131  (Gary Poyner)
  20071130.828  13.15V  (Hiroshi Itoh)
  20071203.878   131  (Gary Poyner)
  20071209.099   131  (Gary Poyner)
  20071210.889   131  (Gary Poyner)
  20071211.892   132  (Gary Poyner)
  20071215.867  13.28V  (Hiroshi Itoh)
  20071216.867   133  (Gary Poyner)
  20071221.550  12.86V  (Hiroshi Itoh)
  20071223.844  12.29V  (Hiroshi Itoh)