TESS light curves of cataclysmic variables – II – Superhumps in old novae and novalike variables

Abstract

ABSTRACT Superhumps are among the abundant variable phenomena observed in the light curves of cataclysmic variables (CVs). They come in two flavours as positive and negative superhumps, distinguished by periods slightly longer or shorter, respectively, than the orbital periods of these interacting binary systems. Positive superhumps are ubiquitous in superoutbursting short-period dwarf novae of the SU UMa type but are less common in longer period systems with accretion discs in a permanent bright state, such as novalike variables and most old novae. Negative superhumps do not seem to have a preference for a particular type of CV. Here, I take advantage of the long high-cadence light curves provided by TESS for huge number of stars, selecting all old novae and novalike variables with past reported superhumps for which TESSlight curves are available and have not yet been analysed in previous publications in order to study their superhump behaviour. In combination with information taken from the literature, the results enable to compile the most complete census of superhumps in these stars so far. As a corollary, for the eclipsing systems in the present sample of objects, eclipse epochs derived from the TESS light curves and in some cases from archival light curves are listed and used to update orbital ephemeris and to discuss period changes.