SU Lyn: diagnosing the boundary layer with UV and hard X-ray data

Abstract

Symbiotic stars in which the symbiotic phenomenon is powered solely by accretion, often at an average rate that is higher than in cataclysmic variable stars, provide an important opportunity to diagnose boundary layers around disk-accreting white dwarfs. Here we investigate SU Lyncis, a recently discovered example of a purely accretion-powered symbiotic star, using the first reliable X-ray spectroscopy, obtained with NuSTAR, and UV photometry obtained with Swift. SU Lyn has hard, thermal, X-ray emission that is strongly affected by a variable local absorber - that has little impact on the UV emission. Its X-ray spectrum is described well using a plasma cooling from $k$T $\approx$ 21 keV, with a 3 to 30 keV luminosity of approximately 4.9$\times$10${}^{32}$ ergs s${}^{-1}$. The spectrum is also consistent with the presence of reflection with an amplitude of 1.0, although in that case, the best-fit plasma temperature is 20-25% lower. The UV to X-ray luminosity ratio of SU Lyn changed significantly between 2015 and 2016. We interpret this as a consequence of a drop by almost 90% in the accretion rate. Whereas the UV luminosity of the disk responded linearly, the luminosity of the optically thin (hard X-ray) emission from the boundary layer remained roughly constant because the boundary layer changed from partially optically thick to almost completely optically thin. Under this interpretation, we place a lower limit on the white dwarf mass of 0.7 M${}_{\odot }$ (0.8 M${}_{\odot }$ if we neglect reflection).

arXiv commentAccepted for publication in ApJ

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Cited by in corpus (9)

• The GALAH Survey and Symbiotic Stars. I. Discovery and follow-up of 33 candidate accreting-only systems
• SU Lyn -- a transient symbiotic star
• Where are the missing symbiotic stars? Uncovering hidden Symbiotic Stars in public catalogues
• The path to Z And-type outbursts: The case of V426 Sagittae (HBHA 1704-05)
• Taking a break: paused accretion in the symbiotic binary RT Cru
• RAMSES II - RAMan Search for Extragalactic Symbiotic Stars. Project concept, commissioning, and early results from the science verification phase
• THA 15-31: Discovery with VLT/X-Shooter and Swift/UVOT of a new symbiotic star of the accreting-only variety
• UV spectroscopy confirms SU Lyn to be a symbiotic star
• Broad Observational Perspectives Achieved by the Accreting White Dwarf Sciences in the XMM-Newton and Chandra Eras