The interoutburst behavior of cataclysmic variables

Journal Article · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/191570· OSTI ID:5666919

Szkody, P; Stablein, C; Mattei, J A; Waagen, E O ^[1]

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1. Washington, University, Seattle (USA) American Association of Variable Star Observers, Cambridge, MA (USA)

Existing IUE and AAVSO archive data were used to accomplish a large scale study of what happens to the UV flux of accretion disk systems during the quiescent intervals between outbursts, and how it relates to the preceding outburst characteristics of amplitude and width. The data sample involved multiple IUE observations for 16 dwarf novae and 8 novae along with existing optical coverage. Results indicate that most systems show correlated UV flux behavior with interoutburst phase, with 60 percent of the dwarf novae and 50 percent of the novae having decreasing flux trends while 33 percent of the dwarf novae and 38 percent of the novae show rising UV flux during the quiescent interval. All of the dwarf novae with decreasing UV fluxes at 1475 A have orbital periods longer than 4.4 hours, while all (except BV Cen) with flat or rising fluxes at 1475 A have orbital periods less than two hours. From a small sample (7) that have relatively large quiescent V magnitude changes between the IUE observations, most show a strong correlation between the UV and optical continuum. Interpretation of the results is complicated by not being able to determine how much the white dwarf contributes to the ultraviolet flux. However, it is now evident that noticeable changes are occurring in the hot zones in accreting systems long after the outburst, and not only for systems that are dominated by the white dwarf. 25 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5666919
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series; (United States) Vol. 76; ISSN APJSA; ISSN 0067-0049
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCRETION DISKS
CORRELATIONS
DWARF STARS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
RADIATIONS
STARS
STELLAR RADIATION
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
VARIABLE STARS
WHITE DWARF STARS