Ashley, R. P., Marsh, T. R., Breedt, E., Gaensicke, B. T., Pala, A. F., Toloza, Odette, Chote, Paul, Thorstensen, John R. and Burleigh, M. R. (2020) V1460 Her : a fast spinning white dwarf accreting from an evolved donor star. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 499 (1). pp. 149-160. doi:10.1093/mnras/staa2676

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Abstract

We present time-resolved optical and ultraviolet spectroscopy and photometry of V1460 Her, an eclipsing cataclysmic variable with a 4.99 h orbital period and an overluminous K5-type donor star. The optical spectra show emission lines from an accretion disc along with absorption lines from the donor. We use these to measure radial velocities, which, together with constraints upon the orbital inclination from photometry, imply masses of M1 = 0.869±0.006 M and M2 = 0.295±0.004 M for the white dwarf and the donor. The radius of the donor, R2 = 0.43 ± 0.002 R, is ≈ 50 per cent larger than expected given its mass, while its spectral type is much earlier than the M3.5 type that would be expected from a main sequence star with a similar mass. HST spectra show strong N v 1240 ˚A emission but no C iv 1550 ˚A emission, evidence for CNO-processed material. The donor is therefore a bloated, over-luminous remnant of a thermal-timescale stage of high mass transfer and has yet to re-establish thermal equilibrium. Remarkably, the HST ultraviolet data also show a strong 30 per cent peak-to-peak, 38.9 s pulsation that we explain as being due to the spin of the white dwarf, potentially putting V1460 Her in a similar category to the propeller system AE Aqr in terms of its spin frequency and evolutionary path. AE Aqr also features a post-thermal timescale mass donor, and V1460 Her may therefore be its weak magnetic field analogue since the accretion disc is still present, with the white dwarf spin-up a result of a recent high accretion rate.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Dwarf novae -- Spectra, Eclipsing binaries, Double stars -- Evolution
Journal or Publication Title:	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
ISSN:	1745-3933
Official Date:	November 2020
Dates:	Date Event November 2020 Published 8 September 2020 Available 26 August 2020 Accepted
Volume:	499
Number:	1
Page Range:	pp. 149-160
DOI:	10.1093/mnras/staa2676
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Reuse Statement (publisher, data, author rights):	This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society following peer review. The version of record R P Ashley, T R Marsh, E Breedt, B T Gänsicke, A F Pala, O Toloza, P Chote, John R Thorstensen, M R Burleigh, V1460 Her: A fast spinning white dwarf accreting from an evolved donor star, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, staa2676, is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2676
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:	Project/Grant ID RIOXX Funder Name Funder ID ST/P000495/1 [STFC] Science and Technology Facilities Council http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000271 ST/T000406/1 [STFC] Science and Technology Facilities Council http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000271 ST/S000623/1 [STFC] Science and Technology Facilities Council http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000271 FP/2007-2013 Seventh Framework Programme http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100011102 320964 (WDTracer) European Research Council http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000781 UNSPECIFIED Instituto de astrofísica de Canarias https://iac.es/

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