RR Pictoris: an old nova showing superhumps and QPOs

Abstract

We present time-resolved V photometry of the old nova RR Pictoris (RR Pic). Apart from the hump-like variability, the light curves show the strong flickering and random variation typical for RR Pic. We do not find any convincing evidence for the previously reported eclipse. The extrapolated eclipse phase coincides with a broad minimum, but comparing the overall shape of the light curve suggests that the eclipse should actually be located around phase 0.2. The orbital period which we derive from these data agrees well with the old one, any uncertainty is too small to account for the possible phase shift. Apart from the 3.48 h period, which is usually interpreted as the orbital one, we find an additional period at P = 3.78 h, which we interpret as the superhump period of the system; the corresponding precession period at 1.79 d is also present in the data. We also find indications for the presence of a 13 min quasi-periodic oscillation.