Watson, C. A., Steeghs, D., Shahbaz, T. and Dhillon, V. S. (2007) Roche tomography of cataclysmic variables. IV, Star-spots and slingshot prominences on BV Cen. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol.382 (No.3). pp. 1105-1118. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.12173.x ISSN 0035-8711.

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Abstract

We present Roche tomograms of the G5 - G8 IV/V secondary star in the long-period cataclysmic variable BV Cen reconstructed from Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle spectrograph echelle data taken on the Magellan Clay 6.5-m telescope. The tomograms show the presence of a number of large, cool star-spots on BV Cen for the first time. In particular, we find a large high-latitude spot which is deflected from the rotational axis in the same direction as seen on the K3 - K5 IV/V secondary star in the cataclysmic variable AE Aqr. BV Cen also shows a similar relative paucity of spots at latitudes between 40. and 50. when compared with AE Aqr. Furthermore, we find evidence for an increased spot coverage around longitudes facing the white dwarf which supports models invoking star-spots at the L1 point to explain the low states observed in some cataclysmic variables. In total, we estimate that some 25 per cent of the Northern hemisphere of BV Cen is spotted.

We also find evidence for a faint, narrow, transient emission line with characteristics reminiscent of the peculiar low-velocity emission features observed in some outbursting dwarf novae. We interpret this feature as a slingshot prominence from the secondary star and derive a maximum source size of 75 000 km and a minimum altitude of 160 000 km above the orbital plane for the prominence.

The entropy landscape technique was applied to determine the system parameters of BV Cen. We find M-1 = 1.18 +/-(0.28)(0.16) M-circle dot and M-2 = 1.05 +/-(0.23)(0.14) M circle dot and an orbital inclination of i = 53 degrees +/- 4 degrees at an optimal systemic velocity of gamma = -22.3 km s(-1). Finally, we also report on the previously unknown binarity of the G5IV star HD 220492.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Cataclysmic variable stars
Journal or Publication Title:	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	0035-8711
Official Date:	11 December 2007
Dates:	Date Event 11 December 2007 Published
Volume:	Vol.382
Number:	No.3
Number of Pages:	14
Page Range:	pp. 1105-1118
DOI:	10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.12173.x
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Date of first compliant deposit:	14 December 2015
Date of first compliant Open Access:	14 December 2015
Funder:	Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (Great Britain) (PPARC), Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Spain. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN)
Grant number:	NNG06GC05G (NASA)

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

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