The Space Density of Magnetic and Non-magnetic Cataclysmic Variables, and Implications for CV Evolution

We present constraints on the space densities of non-magnetic and magnetic cataclysmic variables, and discuss some implications for models of the evolution of CVs. The high predicted non-magnetic CV space density is only consistent with observations if the majority of these systems are extremely fai...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: M. L. Pretorius
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Czech Technical University in Prague 2015-02-01
Series:Acta Polytechnica CTU Proceedings
Online Access:https://ojs.cvut.cz/ojs/index.php/APP/article/view/2820
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Summary:We present constraints on the space densities of non-magnetic and magnetic cataclysmic variables, and discuss some implications for models of the evolution of CVs. The high predicted non-magnetic CV space density is only consistent with observations if the majority of these systems are extremely faint in X-rays. The data cannot rule out the very simple model where long-period IPs evolve into polars and account for the entire short-period polar population. The fraction of<br />WDs that are strongly magnetic is not significantly higher for CV primaries than for isolated WDs. Finally, the space density of IPs is high enough to explain the bright, hard X-ray source population seen in the Galactic Centre.
ISSN:2336-5382