Reis, R. C., Wheatley, P. J., Gänsicke, B. T. (Boris T.) and Osborne, John (2013) X-ray luminosities of optically selected cataclysmic variables and application to the Galactic ridge X-ray emission. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 430 (Number 3). pp. 1994-2001. doi:10.1093/mnras/stt025

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Abstract

By studying Swift X-ray spectra of an optically selected, non-magnetic sample of nearby cataclysmic variables (CVs), we show that there is a population with X-ray luminosity much lower than accounted for in existing studies. We find an average 0.5–10.0 keV luminosity of 8×1029ergs−1 which is an order of magnitude lower than observed in previous samples. Looking at the co-added X-ray spectrum of 20 CVs, we show that the spectral properties of this optically selected, low X-ray luminosity sample – likely characteristic of the dominant population of CVs – resemble that of their brighter counterpart, as well as the X-ray emission originating in the Galactic ridge. It is argued that if the space density of CVs is greater than the current estimates, as it is indeed predicted by population synthesis models, then CVs can significantly contribute to the Galactic ridge emission.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Physics
Journal or Publication Title:	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
ISSN:	0035-8711
Official Date:	2013
Dates:	Date Event 2013 Published
Volume:	Volume 430
Number:	Number 3
Page Range:	pp. 1994-2001
DOI:	10.1093/mnras/stt025
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access

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