Pulsations of the High-Amplitude δ Scuti star YZ Bootis

Abstract

We present a study on pulsations of the high-amplitude δ Scuti star YZ Boo based on photometric observations in Johnson V and R bands with both the Nanshan 1-m telescope of Xinjiang AstronomicalObservatory (XAO) and the Xinglong 85-cmtelescope of NationalAstronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC). Fourier analysis of the light curves reveals the fundamental radial mode and its five harmonics, with the fourth and fifth being newly detected. Thirty-nine new times of maximum light are determined from the light curves, and combined with those in the literature, we construct the O − C diagram, derive a new ephemeris and determine a new value for the updated period of 0.104091579(2). In addition, the O − C diagram reveals an increasing rate of period change for YZ Boo. Theoretical models are calculated and constrained with the observationally determined parameters of YZ Boo. The mass and age of YZ Boo are hence derived as M = 1.61±0.05 M⊙ and age = (1.44±0.14)×109 yr, respectively.With both the frequency of the fundamental radial mode and the rate of period change, YZ Boo is located at the post main sequence stage.