Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Spectroscopic search for new SW Sextantis stars in the 3-4 h orbital period range - I

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Rodriguez-Gil, P., Schmidtobreick, Linda and Gänsicke, B. T. (Boris T.) (2007) Spectroscopic search for new SW Sextantis stars in the 3-4 h orbital period range - I. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol.374 (No.4). pp. 1359-1376. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11245.x ISSN 0035-8711.

Research output not available from this repository.

Request-a-Copy directly from author or use local Library Get it For Me service.

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11245.x

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

We report on time-resolved optical spectroscopy of 10 non-eclipsing nova-like cataclysmic variables in the orbital period range between 3 and 4 h. The main objective of this long-term programme is to search for the characteristic SW Sextantis behaviour and to eventually quantify the impact of the SW Sex phenomenon on nova-likes at the upper boundary of the orbital period gap.

Of the 10 systems observed so far, HL Aqr, BO Cet, AH Men, V380 Oph, AH Pic and LN UMa are identified as new members of the SW Sex class. We present improved orbital period measurements for HL Aqr (P-orb = 3.254 +/- 0.001 h) and V380 Oph (P-orb = 3.69857 +/- 0.00002 h). BO Cet and V380 Oph exhibit emission-line flaring with periodicities of 20 and 47 min, respectively. The H alpha line of HL Aqr shows significant blueshifted absorption modulated at the orbital period. Similarly to the emission S-wave of the high-inclination SW Sex stars, this absorption S-wave has its maximum blue velocity at orbital phase similar to 0.5. We estimate an orbital inclination for HL Aqr in the range 19 degrees < i < 27 degrees, which is much lower than that of the emission-dominated, non-eclipsing SW Sex stars (i similar to 60 degrees-70 degrees). This gives rise to the interesting possibility of many low-inclination nova-likes actually being SW Sex stars, but with a very different spectroscopic appearance as they show significant absorption. The increasing blueshifted absorption with decreasing inclination points to the existence of a mass outflow with significant vertical motion.

These six new additions to the SW Sex class increase the presence of non-eclipsing systems to about one-third of the whole SW Sex population, which therefore makes the requirement of eclipses as a defining criterion for SW Sex membership no longer valid. The statistics of the cataclysmic variable population in the vicinity of the upper period gap are also discussed.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics
Journal or Publication Title: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Publisher: Wiley
ISSN: 0035-8711
Official Date: 1 February 2007
Dates:
DateEvent
1 February 2007Published
Volume: Vol.374
Number: No.4
Number of Pages: 18
Page Range: pp. 1359-1376
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11245.x
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item
twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us