SIMBAD references

2003MNRAS.346.1231P - Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 346, 1231-1241 (2003/December-3)

X-ray and ultraviolet observations of the dwarf nova VW Hyi in quiescence.

PANDEL D., CORDOVA F.A. and HOWELL S.B.

Abstract (from CDS):

We present an analysis of X-ray and ultraviolet (UV) data of the dwarf nova VW Hyi that were obtained with XMM-Newton during the quiescent state. The X-ray spectrum indicates the presence of an optically thin plasma in the boundary layer that cools as it settles on to the white dwarf. The plasma has a continuous temperature distribution that is well described by a power law or a cooling flow model with a maximum temperature of 6-8 keV. We estimate from the X-ray spectrum a boundary layer luminosity of 8x1030 erg/s, which is only 20 per cent of the disc luminosity. The rate of accretion on to the white dwarf is 5x10–12 M/yr, about half of the rate in the disc. From the high-resolution X-ray spectra, we estimate that the X-ray emitting part of the boundary layer is rotating with a velocity of 540 km/s, which is close to the rotation velocity of the white dwarf but is significantly smaller than the Keplerian velocity. We detect a 60-s quasi-periodic oscillation of the X-ray flux, which is likely to be due to the rotation of the boundary layer. The X-ray and the UV flux show strong variability on a time-scale of ∼1500 s. We find that the variability in the two bands is correlated and that the X-ray fluctuations are delayed by ∼100 s. The correlation indicates that the variable UV flux is emitted near the transition region between the disc and the boundary layer and that accretion rate fluctuations in this region are propagated to the X-ray emitting part of the boundary layer within ∼100 s. An orbital modulation of the X-ray flux suggests that the inner accretion disc is tilted with respect to the orbital plane. The elemental abundances in the boundary layer are close to their solar values.

Abstract Copyright: 2003 RAS

Journal keyword(s): accretion, accretion discs - binaries: close - stars: dwarf novae - stars: individual: VW Hyi - novae, cataclysmic variables - X-rays: stars

Simbad objects: 4

goto Full paper

goto View the references in ADS

To bookmark this query, right click on this link: simbad:2003MNRAS.346.1231P and select 'bookmark this link' or equivalent in the popup menu