Hubble Space Telescope STIS Spectroscopy of Long Period Dwarf Novae in Quiescence

Abstract

We present the results of a synthetic spectral analysis of HST STIS spectra of five long period dwarf novae obtained during their quiescence to determine the properties of their white dwarfs which are little known for systems above the CV period gap. The five systems, TU Men, BD Pav, SS Aur, TT Crt, and V442 Cen were observed as part of an HST Snapshot project. The spectra are described and fitted with combinations of white dwarf photospheres and accretion disks. We provide evidence that the white dwarfs in all five systems are at least partially exposed. We discuss the evolutionary implications of our model fitting results and compare these dwarf novae to previously analyzed FUV spectra of other dwarf novae above the period gap. The dispersion in CV WD temperatures above the period gap is substantially greater than one finds below the period gap where there is a surprisingly narrow dispersion in temperatures around 15,000K. There appears to be a larger spread of surface temperatures in dwarf novae above the period than is seen below the gap.

arXiv commentAccepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Part 1, 2008, in press

References in corpus (15)

• Catalogue of cataclysmic binaries, low-mass X-ray binaries and related objects (Seventh edition)
• The Donor Stars of Cataclysmic Variables
• Measuring White Dwarf Accretion Rates via their Effective Temperatures
• Anomalous ultraviolet line flux ratios in the cataclysmic variables 1RXSJ232953.9+062814, CE315, BZ UMa and EY Cyg observed with HST/STIS
• Detailed Mid- and Far-Ultraviolet Model Spectra for Accretion Disks in Cataclysmic Binaries
• Far-ultraviolet Spectroscopy of Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables
• HST Fine Guidance Sensor Astrometric Parallaxes for Three Dwarf Novae: SS Aurigae, SS Cygni, and U Geminorum
• Anomalous cooling of the massive white dwarf in U Geminorum following a narrow dwarf nova outburst
• On the M_V(peak) Versus Orbital Period Relation for Dwarf Nova Outbursts
• The Dwarf Novae During Quiescence
• Spectroscopy of Seven Cataclysmic Variables with Periods Above Five Hours
• The Far Ultraviolet Spectrum of Z Cam in Quiescence
• Far Ultraviolet Observations of the Dwarf Novae SS Aur and RU Peg in Quiescence
• A Far Ultraviolet Study of the Hot White Dwarf in the Dwarf Nova WW Ceti
• FUSE Observations of the Dwarf Novae UU Aql, BV Cen, and CH UMa in Quiescence

Cited by in corpus (18)

• Constraining the Evolution of Cataclysmic Variables via the Masses and Accretion Rates of their Underlying White Dwarfs
• Effective Temperatures of Cataclysmic Variable White Dwarfs as a Probe of their Evolution
• An Online Catalog of Cataclysmic Variable Spectra from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer
• The Accreting White Dwarf in SS Cygni Revealed
• On the absence of nova shells
• Modeling UX Ursae Majoris: An abundance of challenges
• An Empirical Correlation of $T_{\max }$ - $M_{\mathrm{WD}}$ of Dwarf Novae and The Average White Dwarf Mass in Cataclysmic Variables in the Galactic Bulge
• The Fe Line Flux Ratio as a diagnostic of the maximum temperature and the white dwarf mass of Cataclysmic Variables
• A Survey of Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Observations of Cataclysmic Variables
• A Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Survey of High Declination Dwarf Novae
• Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Spectroscopy of the Nova-like BB Doradus
• On the Nature of Long-Period Dwarf Novae with Rare and Low-Amplitude Outbursts
• White Dwarf Photospheric Abundances in Cataclysmic Variables: I. SS Aurigae and TU Mensae
• White Dwarf Photospheric Abundances in Cataclysmic Variables -- II. White Dwarfs With and Without a Mask
• The White Dwarf in EM Cygni: Beyond The Veil
• The Hot Components of AM CVn Helium Cataclysmics
• Unveiling the faint ultraviolet Universe
• Old Galactic novae in the eROSITA All Sky Survey