First XMM-Newton observations of a cataclysmic variable I: Timing studies of OY Car

We present XMM-Newton observations of the eclipsing, disc accreting, cataclysmic variable OY Car which were obtained as part of the performance verification phase of the mission. The star was observed 4 days after an outburst and then again 5 weeks later when it was in a quiescent state. There is a quasi-stable modulation of the X-rays at ~ 2240 s, which is most prominent at the lowest energies. We speculate that this may be related to the spin period of the white dwarf. The duration of the eclipse ingress and egress in X-rays is 20-30 s. This indicates that the bulk of the X-ray emission originates from the boundary layer which has a negligible height above the surface of the white dwarf. The eclipse profile implies a white dwarf of mass M₁=0.9-1.1 M_sun and a secondary star of M₂=0.08-0.11 M_sun. Based on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and the USA (NASA).