XMM-Newton Observations of Three Interesting Cataclysmic Variables
Abstract
We have used the high sensitivity and large energy coverage of XMM_Newton to study 3 interesting cataclysmic variables: the pulsating accreting white dwarf in GW Lib and two confirmed polars from SDSS. Our analysis includes X-ray and optical light curves to determine periodicities and geometry of the X-ray emitting areas and X-ray spectra to obtain temperatures, column density and X-ray luminosity. The X-ray flux observed from GW Lib does not show the non-radial pulsations that are evident in the optical at 648, 376 and 236s, implying that the pulsation is not propagated into the boundary layer in accreting white dwarfs. A 21 min, high amplitude, periodic X-ray modulation is observed in SDSSJ2333+15, confirming this system as an intermediate polar with a 21 min spin period for the white dwarf. An upper limit to the X-ray luminosity of the extremely low accretion rate polar SDSSJ0837+38 confirms the lack of a hard X-ray shock and associates the accretion with the bombardment regime in this system.
This research was supported by XMM-Newton grants NNG05GR47G, NNG05GL29G and NNX06AE80G to the University of Washington and NSF grant AST 03-06080 to G. Schmidt.- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006AAS...209.0919H