Discovery of radio emission from AE Aquarii

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1987 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/185072· OSTI ID:5345685

Bookbinder, J A; Lamb, D Q

VLA 1.4-GHz and 4.9-GHz observations of six DQ Her cataclysmic variables, obtained in the C/D hybrid configuration with 50-MHz bandwidth, 7-sec time resolution, and limiting flux density about 200 microJy on July 21, 1984, are reported. Variable radio emission with time scale less than 5 min, circular polarization less than 15 percent, and flux density 3-5 mJy at 1.4 GHz and 8-16 mJy at 4.9 GHz is detected from AE Aqr. This emission is tentatively attributed to synchrotron emission from mildly relativistic electrons, powered by the MHD torque coupling the magnetic white dwarf to either (1) a secondary with a strong magnetic field or (2) an accretion disk. 20 references.

• Research Organization: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA (USA); Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, Boulder, CO (USA); Chicago Univ., IL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5345685
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 323
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
ACCRETION DISKS
BINARY STARS
FLUX DENSITY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC STARS
NOVAE
POLARIZATION
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
WHITE DWARF STARS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
DWARF STARS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
RADIATIONS
STARS
VARIABLE STARS
640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources