Flares on AM Canum Venaticorum.
Abstract
AM CVn, an interacting binary system consisting of two helium white dwarfs, has been classified as a nova-like object. Normally it exhibits only small amplitude modulations of 0.05 mag with a 1051 s periodicity. The authors report what is believed to be for the first time, two unusually intense optical flares in AM CVn during 1985 - 87. The characteristics of the two flares in white light observed on 1985 February 24 and 1986 February 7 with Δm = 0.34 and Δm = 1.07 respectively are described. The authors estimate the maximum amount of energy released from these flares as 2.7×1036erg and suggest in the light of current models possible sites of origin of the flaring activity.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- January 1988
- Bibcode:
- 1988A&A...189..119M
- Keywords:
-
- Binary Stars;
- Cataclysmic Variables;
- Stellar Flares;
- Visible Spectrum;
- White Dwarf Stars;
- Stellar Models;
- Stellar Spectrophotometry;
- Astrophysics