ABSTRACT
We report on the masses (MWD), effective temperatures ($\rm{T_\mathrm{eff}}$), and secular mean accretion rates ($\langle \dot{M} \rangle$) of 43 cataclysmic variable (CV) white dwarfs, 42 ...of which were obtained from the combined analysis of their Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet data with the parallaxes provided by the Early Third Data Release of the Gaia space mission, and one from the white dwarf gravitational redshift. Our results double the number of CV white dwarfs with an accurate mass measurement, bringing the total census to 89 systems. From the study of the mass distribution, we derive $\langle M_\mathrm{WD} \rangle = 0.81^{+0.16}_{-0.20}\, \mathrm{M_\odot }$, in perfect agreement with previous results, and find no evidence of any evolution of the mass with orbital period. Moreover, we identify five systems with MWD < 0.5 M⊙, which are most likely representative of helium-core white dwarfs, showing that these CVs are present in the overall population. We reveal the presence of an anticorrelation between the average accretion rates and the white dwarf masses for the systems below the $2\!-\!3\,$ h period gap. Since $\langle \dot{M} \rangle$ reflects the rate of system angular momentum loss, this correlation suggests the presence of an additional mechanism of angular momentum loss that is more efficient at low white dwarf masses. This is the fundamental concept of the recently proposed empirical prescription of consequential angular momentum loss (eCAML) and our results provide observational support for it, although we also highlight how its current recipe needs to be refined to better reproduce the observed scatter in $\rm{T_\mathrm{eff}}$ and $\langle \dot{M} \rangle$, and the presence of helium-core white dwarfs.
Abstract
We present HST spectroscopy for 45 cataclysmic variables (CVs), observed with HST/COS and HST/STIS. For 36 CVs, the white dwarf is recognisable through its broad Ly α absorption profile and ...we measure the white dwarf effective temperatures (T
eff) by fitting the HST data assuming log g = 8.35, which corresponds to the average mass for CV white dwarfs (≃0.8 M⊙). Our results nearly double the number of CV white dwarfs with an accurate temperature measurement. We find that CVs above the period gap have, on average, higher temperatures (〈T
eff〉 ≃ 23 000 K) and exhibit much more scatter compared to those below the gap (〈T
eff〉 ≃ 15 000 K). While this behaviour broadly agrees with theoretical predictions, some discrepancies are present: (i) all our new measurements above the gap are characterized by lower temperatures (T
eff ≃ 16 000–26 000 K) than predicted by the present-day CV population models (T
eff ≃ 38 000–43 000 K); (ii) our results below the gap are not clustered in the predicted narrow track and exhibit in particular a relatively large spread near the period minimum, which may point to some shortcomings in the CV evolutionary models. Finally, in the standard model of CV evolution, reaching the minimum period, CVs are expected to evolve back towards longer periods with mean accretion rates
$\dot{M}\lesssim 2 \times 10^{-11}\,\mathrm{M}_{\odot }\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$
, corresponding to T
eff ≲ 11 500 K. We do not unambiguously identify any such system in our survey, suggesting that this major component of the predicted CV population still remains elusive to observations.
We present optical and near-infrared multi-band linear polarimetry of the highly reddened Type Ia supernova (SN) 2014J that appeared in M82. SN 2014J exhibits large polarization at shorter ...wavelengths, e.g., 4.8% in the B band, which decreases rapidly at longer wavelengths, while the position angle of the polarization remains at approximately 40degrees over the observed wavelength range. These polarimetric properties suggest that the observed polarization is likely predominantly caused by the interstellar dust within M82. Further analysis shows that the polarization peaks at a wavelengths much shorter than those obtained for the Galactic dust. The wavelength dependence of the polarization can be better described by an inverse power law rather than by the Serkowski law for Galactic interstellar polarization. These points suggest that the nature of the dust in M82 may be different from that in our Galaxy, with polarizing dust grains having a mean radius of <0.1 mum.
We have developed a new model of the Doppler tomography using total variation minimization (DTTVM). We demonstrated that this method can reconstruct localized and non-axisymmetric profiles possibly ...having sharp edges in the Doppler map. We apply this model to the real data of the dwarf nova, WZ Sge in superoutburst. DTTVM can reproduce the observed spectra with a high precision, while the previous models fail to reproduce localized sources.
We report on optical high-dispersion spectroscopic monitoring observations of the Be/X-ray binary A0535+26/V725 Tau, carried out from 2005 November to 2009 March. The main aim of these monitoring ...observations is to study spectral variabilities in the Be disc, on both the short (a week or so) and long (more than hundreds of days) time-scales, by taking long-term frequent observations. Our four-year spectroscopic observations indicate that the V/R ratio, i.e. the relative intensity of the violet (V) peak with respect to the red (R) one, of the double-peaked Hα line profile varies with a period of 500 d. The Hβ line profile also varies in phase with the Hα profile. With these observations covering two full cycles of the V/R variability, we reconstruct the two-dimensional structure of the Be disc by applying the Doppler tomography method to the Hα and Hβ emission-line profiles, using a rigidly rotating frame with the V/R variability period. The resulting disc structure reveals non-axisymmetric features, which can be explained by a one-armed perturbation in the Be disc. It is the first time that an eccentric disc structure is directly detected by using a method other than the interferometric one.
We report the observation of the first gravitational microlensing event in a sparse stellar field, involving the brightest (V = 11.4 mag) and closest ( similar to 1 kpc) source star to date. This ...event was discovered by an amateur astronomer, A. Tago, on 2006 October 31 as a transient brightening, by similar to 4.5 mag during a similar to 15 day period, of a normal A-type star (GSC 3656-1328) in the Cassiopeia constellation. Analysis of both spectroscopic observations and the light curve indicates that this event was caused by gravitational microlensing rather than an intrinsically variable star. Discovery of this single event over a 30 year period is roughly consistent with the expected microlensing rate for the whole sky down to V = 12 mag stars. However, the probability for finding events with such a high magnification ( similar to 50) is much smaller, by a factor of similar to 1/50, which implies that the true event rate may be higher than expected. This discovery indicates the potential of all sky variability surveys, employing frequent sampling by telescopes with small apertures and wide fields of view, for finding such rare transient events, and using the observations to explore Galactic disk structure and search for exoplanets.
Aims.We report the discovery of five new dwarf novae that were spectroscopically identified in the Hamburg Quasar Survey (HQS), and discuss the properties of the sample of new dwarf novae from the ...HQS. Methods.Follow-up time-resolved spectroscopy and photometry have been obtained to characterise the new systems. Results.The orbital periods determined from analyses of the radial velocity variations and/or orbital photometric variability are Porb min or Porb min for HS 0417+7445, Porb min for HS 1016+3412, Porb min for HS 1340+1524, Porb min for HS 1857+7127, and Porb min for HS 2214+2845. HS 1857+7127 is found to be partially eclipsing. In HS 2214+2845 the secondary star of spectral type $\rm M3\pm1$ is clearly detected, and we estimate the distance to the system to be $d=390\pm40$ pc. We recorded one superoutburst of HS 0417+7445, identifying the system as a SU UMa-type dwarf nova. HS 1016+3412 and HS 1340+1524 have rare outbursts, and their subtype is yet undetermined. HS 1857+7127 frequently varies in brightness and may be a Z Cam-type dwarf nova. HS 2214+2845 is a U Gem-type dwarf nova with a most likely cycle length of 71 d. Conclusions.To date, 14 new dwarf novae have been identified in the HQS. The ratio of short-period (<3 h) to long-period (>3 h) systems of this sample is 1.3, much smaller compared to the ratio of 2.7 found for all known dwarf novae. The HQS dwarf novae display typically infrequent or low-amplitude outburst activity, underlining the strength of spectroscopic selection in identifying new CVs independently of their variability. The spectroscopic properties of short-period CVs in the HQS, newly identified and previously known, suggest that most, or possibly all of them are still evolving towards the minimum period. Their total number agrees with the predictions of population models within an order of magnitude. However, the bulk of all CVs is predicted to have evolved past the minimum period, and those systems remain unidentified. This suggests that those post-bounce systems have markedly weaker Hβ emission lines compared to the average known short-period CVs, and undergo no or extremely rare outbursts.
We report optical photometric observations of four superoutbursts of the short-period dwarf nova TV Crv. This object experiences two types of superoutbursts; one with a precursor and the other ...without. The superhump period and period excess of TV Crv are accurately determined to be 0.065028 plus or minus 0.000008 d and 0.0342 plus or minus 0.0021, respectively. This large excess implies a relatively large mass ratio of the binary components (M sub(2)/M sub(1)), though it has a short orbital period. The two types of superoutbursts can be explained by the thermal-tidal instability model for systems having large mass ratios. Our observations reveal that superhump period derivatives are variable in distinct superoutbursts. The variation is apparently related to the presence or absence of a precursor. We propose that the superhump period derivative depends on the maximum disk radius during outbursts. We investigate the relationship of the type of superoutbursts and the superhump period derivative for known sources. In the case of superoutbursts without a precursor, superhump period derivatives tend to be larger than those in precursor-main type superoutbursts, which is consistent with our scenario.
HS 0943+1404, a true intermediate polar Rodríguez-Gil, P.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Hagen, H.-J. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
09/2005, Letnik:
440, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We have identified a new intermediate polar, HS 0943+1404, as part of our ongoing search for cataclysmic variables in the Hamburg Quasar Survey. The orbital and white dwarf spin periods determined ...from time-resolved photometry and spectroscopy are $P_\mathrm{orb} \simeq 250$ min and $\mbox{$P_\mathrm{spin}$}= 69.171 \pm 0.001$ min, respectively. The combination of a large ratio $\mbox{$P_\mathrm{spin}$}/\mbox{$P_\mathrm{orb}$}\simeq0.3$ and a long orbital period is very unusual compared to the other known intermediate polars. The magnetic moment of the white dwarf is estimated to be $\mu_1\sim10^{34}\,\mathrm{G\,cm^{3}}$, which is in the typical range of polars. Our extensive photometry shows that HS 0943+1404 enters into deep (~3 mag) low states, which are also a characteristic feature of polars. We therefore suggest that the system is a true “intermediate” polar that will eventually synchronise, that is, a transitional object between intermediate polars and polars. The optical spectrum of HS 0943+1404 also exhibits a number of unusual emission lines, most noticeably N$\rm_{II}$λ5680, which is likely to reflect enhanced nitrogen abundances in the envelope of the secondary.
Na I D absorbing systems toward Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) have been intensively studied over the last decade with the aim of finding circumstellar material (CSM), which is an indirect probe of the ...progenitor system. However, it is difficult to deconvolve CSM components from non-variable, and often dominant, components created by interstellar material (ISM). We present a series of high-resolution spectra of SN Ia 2014J from before maximum brightness to > ~250 days after maximum brightness. The late-time spectrum provides unique information for determining the origin of the Na I D absorption systems. The deep late-time observation allows us to probe the environment around the SN at a large scale, extending to > ~40 pc. We find that a spectrum of diffuse light in the vicinity, but not directly in the line of sight, of the SN has absorbing systems nearly identical to those obtained for the "pure" SN line of sight. Therefore, basically all Na I D systems seen toward SN 2014J must originate from foreground material that extends to at least ~40 pc in projection and none at the CSM scale. A fluctuation in the column densities at a scale of ~20 pc is also identified. After subtracting the diffuse, "background" spectrum, the late-time Na I D profile along the SN line of sight is consistent with profiles near maximum brightness. The lack of variability on a ~1 year timescale is consistent with the ISM interpretation for the gas.
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