Spectroscopy of the dwarf nova RX andromedae from quiescence to eruption

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/166473· OSTI ID:6766851

Kaitchuck, R H; Mansperger, C S; Hantzios, P A

The time-resolved spectroscopy of RX And is presented over six consecutive nights from quiescence and into eruption. The radial velocity curve seen in quiescence was highly distorted, as reported earlier. However, this distortion does not appear to be the result of an s-wave, because it persists even when the line core is excluded from the profile fit. Also, it is seen in the outburst absorption lines, indicating that the source of the distortion extends over the entire visible disk. The accretion disk may have started changing at least 14 hr prior to the start of the optical outburst as seen in the emission-line widths and strengths. After the outburst began, the optically thin regions of the disk became totally ionized and all normal Balmer disk emission was replaced by line emission from two new locations: possibly a shell or the heated face of the secondary star and the L3 point. An expansion of the disk is implied in order to force the gas over the L3 potential barrier. Such a disk expansion is consistent with the predictions of the thermal disk instability theory of dwarf nova eruptions. 37 references.

• Research Organization: Ohio State Univ., Columbus (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6766851
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 330; ISSN ASJOA
• 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
BALMER LINES
BINARY STARS
DWARF STARS
EMISSION SPECTRA
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
EXPANSION
INSTABILITY
IONIZATION
NOVAE
RADIAL VELOCITY
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS
VARIABLE STARS
VELOCITY
WHITE DWARF STARS