Photometric study of new southern SUUMa-type dwarf novae and candidates: V877 Ara, KK Tel and PUCMa

We photometrically observed the three dwarf novae V877 Ara, KK Tel and PU CMa. We discovered the undisputed presence of superhumps in V877 Ara and KK Tel, with mean periods of 0.084 11(2) and 0.088 08(3) d, respectively. Both V877 Ara and KK Tel are confirmed to belong to long-period SU UMa-type dwarf novae. In V877 Ara, we found a large decrease of the superhump period . There is evidence that the period of KK Tel decreased at a similar or a more exceptional rate. Coupled with the past studies of superhump period changes, these findings suggest that a previously neglected diversity of phenomena is present in long-period SU UMa-type dwarf novae. The present discovery of a diversity in long-period SU UMa-type systems would become an additional step towards a full understanding of the dwarf nova phenomenon. PU CMa is shown to be an excellent candidate for an SU UMa-type dwarf nova. We examined the outburst properties of these dwarf novae, and derived characteristic outburst recurrence times. Combined with the recently published measurement of the orbital period of PU CMa, we propose that PU CMa is the first object filling the gap between the extreme WZ Sge-type and ER UMa-type stars.