Coordinated Optical and X-Ray Observations of the AM Herculis Objects VV Puppis, V834 Centauri, and EF Eridani
Abstract
We obtained coordinated broadband optical photometry and hard X-ray data on the AM Her objects VV Pup, V834 Cen, and EF Eri. The X-ray data were obtained using the Proportional Counter Array detectors of the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer, and the optical data were obtained using the 1 m telescope of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. During our observations, VV Pup and V834 Cen were in their high optical luminosity states with average mV~17 and 15.1, respectively. EF Eri was in a very low state at the time of our observation: mV>17.7. VV Pup and V834 Cen had average 2-10 keV X-ray fluxes of 1.7x10-12 and 2.13x10-11 ergs cm-2 s-1, respectively. EF Eri was not detected in X-rays. The X-ray spectrum of V834 Cen was adequately modeled using an absorbed bremsstrahlung continuum with a Gaussian emission line. The best-fit model had continuum temperature kTX=11.8+/-1.0 keV and absorption column nH=(1.03+/-0.39)x1022 cm-2. The Gaussian emission line had line center energy E=6.7+/-0.1 keV and equivalent width EW=0.64 keV. VV Pup was too faint to produce reliable spectral fits. The 2-10 keV flux for VV Pup quoted above was based on the best-fit spectral model. Holding kTX fixed in the fitting process yielded roughly the same flux for kTX=0.5-30 keV. We detected ~1 Hz optical quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) with amplitude ~2.2% from VV Pup and ~1% from V834 Cen. We did not detect optical QPOs over the range 0.2-1 Hz from EF Eri at a 90% confidence upper limit of 4.5%. The QPO properties are consistent with those found in the literature. None of the targets showed X-ray QPO activity. However, only V834 Cen yielded a meaningful upper limit: ~14% at the 90% confidence level over 0.2-1.2 Hz.
- Publication:
-
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
- Pub Date:
- January 2000
- DOI:
- 10.1086/316478
- Bibcode:
- 2000PASP..112...18I
- Keywords:
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- STARS: BINARIES: GENERAL;
- STARS: NOVAE;
- CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES;
- STARS: VARIABLES: OTHER;
- STARS: WHITE DWARFS