IW And-type state in im Eridani

Abstract

IW And stars are a recently recognized group of dwarf novae which are characterized by a repeated sequence of brightening from a standstill-like phase with damping oscillations followed by a deep dip. Kimura et al. (2019, PASJ, submitted) recently proposed a model based on thermal-viscous disk instability in a tilted disk to reproduce the IW And-type characteristics. IM Eri experienced the IW And-type phase in 2018 and we recorded three cycles of the (damping) oscillation phase terminated by brightening. We identified two periods during the IW And-type state: 4-5 d small-amplitude (often damping) oscillations and a 34-43 d long cycle. This behavior is typical for an IW And-type star. The object gradually brightened within the long cycle before the next brightening, which terminated the (damping) oscillation phase. This observation agrees with the increasing disk mass during the long cycle predicted by the Kimura et al. model of thermal-viscous disk instability in a tilted disk. We did not, however, succeed in detecting negative superhumps, which are considered to be the signature of a tilted disk.