X-ray Spectroscopy of the IP PQ Gem

Abstract

Using RXTE and ASCA data, we investigate the roles played by occultation and absorption in the X-ray spin pulse profile of the Intermediate Polar PQ Gem. From the X-ray light curves and phase-resolved spectroscopy, we find that the intensity variations are due to a combination of varying degrees of absorption and the accretion regions rotating behind the visible face of the white dwarf. These occultation and absorption effects are consistent with those expected from the accretion structures calculated from optical polarisation data. We can reproduce the changes in absorber covering fraction either from geometrical effects, or by considering that the material in the leading edge of the accretion curtain is more finely fragmented than in other parts of the curtain. We determine a white dwarf mass of ~1.2 using the RXTE data.

arXiv commentAccepted for publication in MNRAS

References in corpus (2)

• Effects of Gravity on the Structure of Postshock Accretion Flows in Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables
• Determining the mass of the accreting white dwarf in magnetic CVs using data

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• XMM-Newton observations of the eclipsing polar V2301 Oph
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• XMM-Newton confirmation of a new intermediate polar: XMMU J185330.7-012815