Evolution and Outbursts of Cataclysmic Variables

Mass transfer and accretion are very important to understand the evolution and observational properties of cataclysmic variables (CVs). Due to the lack of an accretion disk, eclipsing profiles of polars are the best source to study the character of mass transfer in CVs. By analyzing long-term photom...

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Main Authors: S.-B. Qian, L.-Y. Zhu, E.-G. Zhao, E. Fernández Lajús, J. Zhang, G. Shi, Z.-T. Han
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/2870
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author S.-B. Qian
L.-Y. Zhu
E.-G. Zhao
E. Fernández Lajús
J. Zhang
G. Shi
Z.-T. Han
author_facet S.-B. Qian
L.-Y. Zhu
E.-G. Zhao
E. Fernández Lajús
J. Zhang
G. Shi
Z.-T. Han
author_sort S.-B. Qian
collection DOAJ
description Mass transfer and accretion are very important to understand the evolution and observational properties of cataclysmic variables (CVs). Due to the lack of an accretion disk, eclipsing profiles of polars are the best source to study the character of mass transfer in CVs. By analyzing long-term photometric variations in the eclipsing polar HU Aqr, the property of mass transfer and accretion are investigated. The correlation between the brightness state change and the variation of the ingress profile suggests that both the accretion hot spot and the accretion stream are produced instantaneously. The observations clearly show that it is the variation of mass transfer causing the brightness state changes that is a direct evidence of variable mass transfer in a CV. It is shown that it is the local dark-spot activity near the L1 point to cause the change of the mass transfer rather than the activity cycles of the cool secondary star. Our results suggest that the evolution of CVs is more complex than that predicted by the standard model and we should consider the effect of variable mass accretion in nova and dwarf nova outbursts.
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publisher Czech Technical University in Prague
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series Acta Polytechnica CTU Proceedings
spelling doaj-art-c08fe8c458034b10aaddd5b5abf30ad82025-08-20T02:51:11ZengCzech Technical University in PragueActa Polytechnica CTU Proceedings2336-53822015-02-012115215510.14311/APP.2015.02.01522636Evolution and Outbursts of Cataclysmic VariablesS.-B. Qian0L.-Y. Zhu1E.-G. Zhao2E. Fernández LajúsJ. Zhang3G. Shi4Z.-T. Han5Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Science, P. O. Box 110, 650011 Kunming, China Key Laboratory for the Structure and Evolution of Celestial Objects, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650011 Kunming, China University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road 19#, Sijingshang Block, 100049 Beijing, ChinaYunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Science, P. O. Box 110, 650011 Kunming, China Key Laboratory for the Structure and Evolution of Celestial Objects, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650011 Kunming, China University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road 19#, Sijingshang Block, 100049 Beijing, ChinaFacultad de Ciencias Astronomicas y Geofısicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina Instituto de Astrofisica de La Plata (CCT La plata - CONICET/UNLP), ArgentinaYunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Science, P. O. Box 110, 650011 Kunming, China Key Laboratory for the Structure and Evolution of Celestial Objects, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650011 Kunming, ChinaYunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Science, P. O. Box 110, 650011 Kunming, China Key Laboratory for the Structure and Evolution of Celestial Objects, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650011 Kunming, ChinaYunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Science, P. O. Box 110, 650011 Kunming, China Key Laboratory for the Structure and Evolution of Celestial Objects, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650011 Kunming, ChinaMass transfer and accretion are very important to understand the evolution and observational properties of cataclysmic variables (CVs). Due to the lack of an accretion disk, eclipsing profiles of polars are the best source to study the character of mass transfer in CVs. By analyzing long-term photometric variations in the eclipsing polar HU Aqr, the property of mass transfer and accretion are investigated. The correlation between the brightness state change and the variation of the ingress profile suggests that both the accretion hot spot and the accretion stream are produced instantaneously. The observations clearly show that it is the variation of mass transfer causing the brightness state changes that is a direct evidence of variable mass transfer in a CV. It is shown that it is the local dark-spot activity near the L1 point to cause the change of the mass transfer rather than the activity cycles of the cool secondary star. Our results suggest that the evolution of CVs is more complex than that predicted by the standard model and we should consider the effect of variable mass accretion in nova and dwarf nova outbursts.https://ojs.cvut.cz/ojs/index.php/APP/article/view/2870
spellingShingle S.-B. Qian
L.-Y. Zhu
E.-G. Zhao
E. Fernández Lajús
J. Zhang
G. Shi
Z.-T. Han
Evolution and Outbursts of Cataclysmic Variables
Acta Polytechnica CTU Proceedings
title Evolution and Outbursts of Cataclysmic Variables
title_full Evolution and Outbursts of Cataclysmic Variables
title_fullStr Evolution and Outbursts of Cataclysmic Variables
title_full_unstemmed Evolution and Outbursts of Cataclysmic Variables
title_short Evolution and Outbursts of Cataclysmic Variables
title_sort evolution and outbursts of cataclysmic variables
url https://ojs.cvut.cz/ojs/index.php/APP/article/view/2870
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