Optical Studies of Seven Bright Southern Cataclysmic Variable Stars

We report spectroscopic observations of seven bright southern cataclysmic variable stars, collected on a single two-week observing run using the 1.9-m Radcliffe telescope at the South African Astronomical Observatory. We used radial velocity time series, in some cases in combination with other data, to determine or clarify orbital periods for five of them, namely ATO J061.1478-31.0634, BMAM-V547, MGAB-V202, NSV 4202, and V1147 Cen. For BMAM-V547, we use data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to corroborate and sharpen the orbital period; the TESS data also show a photometric period near 3.93 d, likely indicating precession of the accretion disk. Also, we find a periodic modulation in the radial velocities of the SU UMa-type dwarf nova Var Ret2005, but are unable to specify a unique cycle count. Finally, we show a spectrum of ASASSN-V J061528.41-412007.3 that appears typical of a luminous novalike variable.