AE Aquarii represents a new subclass of Cataclysmic Variables

Abstract

We analyze properties of the unique nova-like star AE Aquarii identified with a close binary system containing a red dwarf and a very fast rotating magnetized white dwarf. It cannot be assigned to any of the three commonly adopted sub-classes of Cataclysmic Variables: Polars, Intermediate Polars, and Accreting non-magnetized White Dwarfs. Our study has shown that the white dwarf in AE Aqr is in the ejector state and its dipole magnetic moment is $\mu 1.5\times 10^{34}Gc{m}^3$. It switched into this state due to intensive mass exchange between the system components during a previous epoch. A high rate of disk accretion onto the white dwarf surface resulted in temporary screening of its magnetic field and spin-up of the white dwarf to its present spin period. Transition of the white dwarf to the ejector state had occurred at a final stage of the spin-up epoch as its magnetic field emerged from the accreted plasma due to diffusion. In the frame of this scenario AE Aqr represents a missing link in the chain of Polars evolution and the white dwarf resembles a recycled pulsar.

accepted for publication in Astronomy Reports (July 2012)

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Cited by in corpus (5)

• Magnetic Dipole Moment of SGRs and AXPs Described as Massive and Magnetic White Dwarfs
• AE Aquarii represents a new subclass of Cataclysmic Variables
• On the origin of the peculiar cataclysmic variable AE Aquarii
• The cataclysmic variable AE Aquarii: B-V colour of the flares
• Features of the mass transfer in magnetic cataclysmic variables with fast-rotating white dwarfs