Dramatic Changes in the Outburst Properties in V503 Cygni

Abstract

Abstract We examined the VSNET light curve of the unusual SU UMa-type dwarf nova V503 Cyg, which is known to show a short (89 d) supercycle length and exceptionally small (a few) normal outbursts within a supercycle. In 1999–2000, V503 Cyg displayed frequent normal outbursts with typical recurrence times of 7–9 d. The behavior during this period is characteristic to an usual SU UMa-type dwarf nova with a short supercycle length. On the other hand, V503 Cyg showed very infrequent normal outbursts in 2001–2002. Some of the superoutbursts during this period were observed to be shorter than usual. The remarkable alternations of the outbursting states in V503 Cyg support the presence of mechanisms of suppressing normal outbursts and prematurely quenching superoutbursts, which have been proposed to explain some unusual SU UMa-type outbursts. The observed temporal variability of the suppressing/quenching mechanisms in the same object suggests that these mechanisms are not primarily governed by a fixed system parameter, but more reflect the state changes in the accretion disk.