Parallax and Distance Estimates for Twelve Cataclysmic Variable Stars (2008)
Thorstensen, J. R., Lepine, S., Shara, M.
We report parallax and distance estimates for twelve more cataclysmic binaries and related objects observed with the 2.4m Hiltner telescope at MDM Observatory. The final parallax accuracy is...
SDSS 1507+02: A Halo Cataclysmic Variable? (2008)
Patterson, J., Thorstensen, J. R., Knigge, C.
We report a photometric and spectroscopic study of the peculiar cataclysmic variable SDSS 1507+52. The star shows very deep eclipses on the 67 minute orbital period, and those eclipses are easily...
The Eclipsing Cataclysmic Variable Lanning 386: Dwarf Nova, SW Sextantis Star, or Both? (2008)
Brady, S., Thorstensen, J. R., Koppelman, M. D., Prieto, J. L., Garnavich, P. M., Hirschauer, A., ...
We present photometry and spectroscopy of the suspected cataclysmic variable (CV) Lanning 386. We confirm that it is a CV, and observe deep eclipses, from which we determine the orbital period Porb...
Spectroscopy of Nine Cataclysmic Variable Stars (2007)
Sheets, H. A., Thorstensen, J. R., Peters, C. J., Kapusta, A. B., Taylor, C. J.
We present optical spectroscopy of nine cataclysmic binary stars, mostly dwarf novae, obtained primarily to determine orbital periods Porb. The stars and their periods are LX And, 0.1509743(5) d; CZ...
DE CVn: A bright, eclipsing red dwarf - white dwarf binary (2007)
Greimel, R., Morales-Rueda, L., Nelemans, G., Thorstensen, J. R., Marsh, T. R., ...
Close white dwarf - red dwarf binaries must have gone through a common-envelope phase during their evolution. DE CVn is a detached white dwarf - red dwarf binary with a relatively short (~8.7 hours)...
GRB 060218/SN 2006aj: A Gamma-Ray Burst and Prompt Supernova at z=0.0335 (2006)
Mirabal, N., Halpern, J. P., An, D., Thorstensen, J. R., Terndrup, D. M.
We report the imaging and spectroscopic localization of GRB 060218 to a low-metallicity dwarf starburst galaxy at z = 0.03345 +/- 0.00006. In addition to making it the second nearest gamma-ray burst...
Is FIRST J102347.6+003841 Really a Cataclysmic Binary? (2005)
Thorstensen, J. R., Armstrong, E.
The radio source FIRST J102347.6+003841 was presented as the first radio-selected cataclysmic. In the discovery paper, Bond et al. (2002) show a spectrum consistent with a magnetic AM Her-type system...
Parallax and Distance Estimates for Fourteen Cataclysmic Variable Stars (2003)
I used the 2.4 m Hiltner telescope at MDM Observatory in an attempt to measure trigonometric parallaxes for 14 cataclysmic variable stars. Techniques are described in detail. In the best cases the...
Serendipitous Discovery and Parallax of a Nearby L Dwarf (2003)
Thorstensen, J. R., Kirkpatrick, J. D.
A field star serendipitously observed in a parallax program proved to have a proper motion of 562 mas/yr and a parallax of 82 +- 2 mas. The star is identified with 2MASS J07003664+3157266. A Keck...
GRB 021004: A Possible Shell Nebula around a Wolf-Rayet Star Gamma-Ray Burst Progenitor (2003)
Mirabal, N., Halpern, J. P., Chornock, Ryan, Filippenko, Alexei V., Terndrup, D. M., Armstrong, E., ...
The rapid localization of GRB 021004 by the HETE-2 satellite allowed nearly continuous monitoring of its early optical afterglow decay, as well as high-quality optical spectra that determined a...
Five Dwarf Novae with Orbital Periods Below Two Hours (2002)
Thorstensen, J. R., Fenton, W. H.
We give mean spectra and report orbital periods Porb based on radial velocities taken near minimum light for five dwarf novae, all of which prove to have Porb less than 2 hr. The stars and their...
Thorstensen, J. R., Fenton, W. H., Patterson, J. O., Kemp, J., Halpern, J., Baraffe, I.
We present spectroscopy and time-series photometry of the dwarf nova QZ Ser. The spectrum shows a rich absorption line spectrum of type K4 +- 2. K-type secondary stars are generally seen in dwarf...
The Dwarf Novae of Shortest Period (2002)
Thorstensen, J. R., Patterson, J. O., Kemp, J., Vennes, S.
We present observations of the dwarf novae GW Lib, V844 Her, and DI UMa. Radial velocities of H-alph yield orbital periods of 0.05332 +- 0.00002 d (= 76.78 m) for GW Lib and and 0.054643 +- 0.000007...
The cataclysmic variable CW 1045+525: a secondary-dominated dwarf nova? (2001)
Tappert, C., Thorstensen, J. R., Fenton, W. H., Bennert, N., Schmidtobreick, L., Bianchini, A.
We present spectroscopic and photometric observations of the cataclysmic variable CW 1045+525. Both the optical spectrum and the photometric lightcurve show a strong contribution of a K5V - M0V...
Redshifts for 2410 Galaxies in the Century Survey Region (2001)
Wegner, G., Thorstensen, J. R., Kurtz, M. J., Brown, W. R., Fabricant, D. G., Geller, M. J., ...
The `Century Survey' strip covers 102 square degrees within the limits 8.5h \leq \alpha_{1950} \leq 16.5h, 29.0 degrees \leq \delta_{1950} \leq 30.0 degrees. The strip passes through the Corona...
Spectroscopy and orbital periods of four cataclysmic variable stars (2001)
Thorstensen, J. R., Taylor, C. J.
We present spectroscopy and orbital periods Porb of four relatively little-studied cataclysmic variable stars. The stars and their periods are: AF Cam, Porb = 0.324(1) d (the daily cycle count is...
The post-common envelope and pre-cataclysmic binary PG 1224+309 (1999)
Orosz, J.A., Wade, R.A., Harlow, J.J.B., Thorstensen, J.R., Taylor, C.J., Eraclous, M.
Taylor, C. J., Thorstensen, J. R., Patterson, J.
We present time-resolved spectroscopy and photometry of the bright cataclysmic variable LS Peg (= S193). The Balmer lines exhibit broad, asymmetric wings Doppler-shifted by about 2000 km/s at the...
Aquila X--1: a low inclination soft X-ray transient (1998)
Shahbaz, T., Thorstensen, J. R., Charles, P. A., Sherman, N. D.
We have obtained I-band photometry of the neutron star X-ray transient Aql X--1 during quiescence. We find a periodicity at 2.487 cd-1, which we interpret as twice the orbital frequency (19.30+/-0.05...
PG 1002+506: a Be Star Apparently at Z Greater Than +10 kpc (1997)
Ringwald, F. A., Rolleston, W. R. J., Saffer, R. A., Thorstensen, J. R.
PG 1002+506 is found to be a Be star, one of two so far found by the Palomar-Green survey. Its spectrum is classified as a B5 +/- 1 Ve, with Teff = 14,900 +/- 1200, log g = 4.2 +/- 0.2, and v sin i =...
The Quadruple Gravitational Lens PG1115+080: Time Delays and Models (1996)
Schechter, P. L., Bailyn, C. D., Barr, R., Barvainis, R., Becker, C. M., Bernstein, G. M., ...
Optical photometry is presented for the quadruple gravitational lens PG1115+080. A preliminary reduction of data taken from November 1995 to June 1996 gives component ``C'' leading component ``B'' by...