UBVRI PHOTOMETRY OF NOVA PW-VULPECULAE 1984

UBVRI light curves of Nova PW Vulpeculae have been obtained over the i nterval 1984 August 2 to December 24. The principal features of these data are the following: (1) a gradual trend to the blue in B - V and R - I, and to the red in V - R; the latter is probably due to the incre asing dominance of the R band by Ha emission; (2) an abrupt decrease i mmediately after maximum light, which occurred progressively later at longer wavelengths; and (3) fluctuations in light, but not in colour, which were quasi-periodic on a time-scale of 16 d. Comparisons between our UBV data and other photoelectrically measured magnitudes show sat isfactory agreement, and indicate that the fluctuations are genuine, a nd not due to observational errors. Fairly satisfactory agreement is a lso obtained between the V magnitudes and published visual observation s, but some differences are noted. No other observations of PW Vul in the R and I bands are known to us. The fluctuations conspire to make v ery unreliable any estimate of the distance of the nova from the mean rate of decline.