No Arabic abstract
We report results of the eclipse mapping analysis of an ensemble of light curves of HT Cas. The fast response of the white dwarf to the increase in mass transfer rate, the expansion rate of the accretion disc at the same time, and the relative amplitude of the high-frequency flickering indicate that the quiescent disc of HT Has has high viscosity, alpha ~ 0.3-0.7. This is in marked disagreement with the disc-instability model and implies that the outbursts of HT Cas are caused by bursts of enhanced mass-transfer rate from its donor star.
We report on the eclipse mapping analysis of an ensemble of light curves of the dwarf nova V2051 Oph with the aim to study the spatial distribution of its steady-light and flickering sources. The data are combined to derive the orbital dependency of the steady-light and the flickering components at two different brightness levels, named the faint and bright states. The differences in brightness are caused by long-term variations in the mass transfer rate from the secondary star. Eclipse maps of the steady-light show enhanced emission along the ballistic stream trajectory, in a clear evidence of gas stream overflow. We identify two different and independent sources of flickering in V2051 Oph. Low-frequency flickering arises in the overflowing gas stream and is associated to the mass transfer process. It maximum emission occurs at the position of closest approach of the gas stream to the white dwarf, and its spatial distribution changes in response to variations in mass transfer rate. High-frequency flickering originates in the accretion disk, showing a radial distribution similar to that of the steady-light maps and no evidence of emission from the hot spot, gas stream or white dwarf. This disk flickering component has a relative amplitude of about 3 per cent of the steady disk light, independent of disk radius and brightness state. If the disk flickering is caused by fluctuations in the energy dissipation rate induced by MHD turbulence, its relative amplitude lead to a viscosity parameter alpha= 0.1-0.2 at all radii for the quiescent disk. This value seems uncomfortably high to be accommodated by the disk instability model [abridged].
We report observations of the flickering variability of the dwarf nova RX And in five bands (UBVRI) on two nights. On 25 October 2019 the brightness of the star was $Bapprox 13.9$ mag, the amplitude of the flickering was 0.47 mag, and we estimate for the flickering source temperature $T_{fl} = 10700 pm 400$ K, and radius $R_{fl} =0.046 pm 0.004$ $R_odot$. On 2 January 2020, the star was about 3 magnitudes brighter ($B approx 10.7$), the amplitude of the flickering was significantly lower (0.07 mag) and we derive for the flickering source $T_{fl} = 9600 pm 700$ K, and radius $R_{fl} = 0.098 pm 0.009$ $R_odot$. The results indicate that 3 magnitudes brightening of the star doubled the radius of the flickering source. The data are available upon request from the authors.
A cataclysmic variable is a binary system consisting of a white dwarf that accretes material from a secondary object via the Roche-lobe mechanism. In the case of long enough observation, a detailed temporal analysis can be performed, allowing the physical properties of the binary system to be determined. We present an XMM-Newton observation of the dwarf nova HT Cas acquired to resolve the binary system eclipses and constrain the origin of the X-rays observed. We also compare our results with previous ROSAT and ASCA data. After the spectral analysis of the three EPIC camera signals, the observed X-ray light curve was studied with well known techniques and the eclipse contact points obtained. The X-ray spectrum can be described by thermal bremsstrahlung of temperature $kT_1=6.89 pm 0.23$ keV plus a black-body component (upper limit) with temperature $kT_2=30_{-6}^{+8}$ eV. Neglecting the black-body, the bolometric absorption corrected flux is $F^{rm{Bol}}=(6.5pm 0.1)times10^{-12}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, which, for a distance of HT Cas of 131 pc, corresponds to a bolometric luminosity of $(1.33pm 0.02)times10^{31}$ erg s$^{-1}$. The study of the eclipse in the EPIC light curve permits us to constrain the size and location of the X-ray emitting region, which turns out to be close to the white dwarf radius. We measure an X-ray eclipse somewhat smaller (but only at a level of $simeq 1.5 sigma$) than the corresponding optical one. If this is the case, we have possibly identified the signature of either high latitude emission or a layer of X-ray emitting material partially obscured by an accretion disk.
We report on the investigation of the spatial distribution of the flickering sources in the dwarf nova V2051 Oph with eclipse mapping techniques. Low-frequency flickering originates in the gas stream and is related to the mass transfer process, whereas high-frequency flickering arises in the accretion disk and is probably connected to magneto-hydrodynamic turbulence.
We report observations of the flickering variability of the symbiotic recurrent nova RS~Oph at quiescence in five bands ($UBVRI$). We find evidence of a correlation between the peak-to-peak flickering amplitude ($Delta F$) and the average flux of the hot component ($F_{rm av}$). The correlation is highly significant, with a correlation coefficient of 0.85 and a $p$-value of~$sim 10^{-20}$. Combining the data from all wavebands, we find a dependence of the type $Delta F propto F^k_{rm av}$, with power-law index $k = 1.02 pm 0.04$ for the $UBVRI$ flickering of RS~Oph. Thus, the relationship between the amplitude of variability and the average flux of the hot component is consistent with linearity. The rms amplitude of flickering is on average 8 per cent ($pm2$ per cent) of $F_{rm av}$. The detected correlation is similar to that found in accreting black holes/neutron stars and cataclysmic variables. The possible reasons are briefly discussed. The data are available upon request from the authors.