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Register a new userThe Spin-Period History of Intermediate Polars
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Joseph Patterson
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We report the detailed history of spin-period changes in five intermediate polars (DQ Herculis, AO Piscium, FO Aquarii, V1223 Sagittarii, and BG Canis Minoris) during the 30-60 years since their original discovery. Most are slowly spinning up, although there are sometimes years-long episodes of spin-down. This is supportive of the idea that the underlying magnetic white dwarfs are near spin equilibrium. In addition to the ~40 stars sharing many properties and defined by their strong, pulsed X-ray emission, there are a few rotating much faster (P<80 s), whose membership in the class is still in doubt -- and who are overdue for closer study.
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We present a review of the results of long-term photometric monitoring of selected magnetic cataclysmic binary systems, which belong to a class named Intermediate polars. We found a spin period variability in the V2306 Cygni system. We confirm the strong negative superhump variations in the intermediate polar RX J2133.7+5107 and improved a characteristic time of white dwarf spin-up in this system. We have investigated the periodic modulation of the spin phases with the orbital phase in MU Camelopardalis. We can propose simple explanation as the influence of orbital sidebands in the periodic signal produced by intermediate polar.
The disc instability model (DIM) has been very successful in explaining the dwarf nova outbursts observed in cataclysmic variables. When, as in intermediate polars (IP), the accreting white dwarf is magnetized, the disc is truncated at the magnetospheric radius, but for mass-transfer rates corresponding to the thermal-viscous instability such systems should still exhibit dwarf-nova outbursts. Yet, the majority of intermediate polars in which the magnetic field is not large enough to completely disrupt the accretion disc, seem to be stable, and the rare observed outbursts, in particular in systems with long orbital periods, are much shorter than normal dwarf-nova outbursts. We investigate the predictions of the disc instability model for intermediate polars in order to determine which of the observed properties of these systems can be explained by the DIM. We use our numerical code for the time evolution of accretion discs, modified to include the effects of the magnetic field, with constant or variable mass transfer from the secondary star. We show that intermediate polars have mass transfer low enough and magnetic fields large enough to keep the accretion disc stable on the cold equilibrium branch. We show that the infrequent and short outbursts observed in long period systems, such as e.g., TV Col, cannot be attributed to the thermal-viscous instability of the accretion disc, but instead have to be triggered by an enhanced mass-transfer from the secondary, or, more likely, by some instability coupling the white dwarf magnetic field with that generated by the magnetorotational instability operating in the accretion disc. Longer outbursts (a few days) could result from the disc instability.
Based on XMM--Newton X-ray observations IGR J19552+0044 appears to be either a pre-polar or an asynchronous polar. We conducted follow-up optical observations to identify the sources and periods of variability precisely and to classify this X-ray source correctly. Extensive multicolor photometric and medium- to high-resolution spectroscopy observations were performed and period search codes were applied to sort out the complex variability of the object. We found firm evidence of discording spectroscopic (81.29+/-0.01m) and photometric (83.599+/-0.002m) periods that we ascribe to the white dwarf (WD) spin period and binary orbital period, respectively. This confirms that IGR J19552+0044 is an asynchronous polar. Wavelength-dependent variability and its continuously changing shape point at a cyclotron emission from a magnetic WD with a relatively low magnetic field below 20 MG. The difference between the WD spin period and the binary orbital period proves that IGR J19552+0044 is a polar with the largest known degree of asynchronism (0.97 or 3%).
We construct a complete, hard X-ray flux-limited sample of intermediate polars (IPs) from the Swift-BAT 70-month survey, by imposing selection cuts in flux and Galactic latitude ($F_X > 2.5 times 10^{-11},mathrm{erg,cm^{-2}s^{-1}}$ at 14--195~keV, and $|b|>5^circ$). We then use it to estimate the space density ($rho$) of IPs. Assuming that this sample of 15 long-period systems is representative of the intrinsic IP population, the space density of long-period IPs is $1^{+1}_{-0.5} times 10^{-7},mathrm{pc^{-3}}$. The Swift-BAT data also allow us to place upper limits on the size of a hypothetical population of faint IPs that is not included in the flux-limited sample. While most IPs detected by BAT have 14--195~keV luminosities of $sim 10^{33} {rm erg s^{-1}}$, there is evidence of a fainter population at $L_X sim 10^{31} {rm erg s^{-1}}$. We find that a population of IPs with this luminosity may have a space density as large as $5times 10^{-6},mathrm{pc^{-3}}$. Furthermore, these low-luminosity IPs, despite appearing rare in observed samples, are probably at least as intrinsically common as the brighter systems that are better represented in the known IP sample.
We analyse the K2 short cadence data of the intermediate polar FO Aqr and provide accurate and updated orbital and spin periodicities. We additionally find small spin period changes as a function of orbital phase of ~0.02 seconds translating to velocities of ~ a few km/s. The obtained orbital-folded velocity profile displays two clear maxima and minima, and cannot be explained by the radial velocity of the orbiting white dwarf. Instead we propose that the observed velocities are the sum of the radial velocities of both the white dwarf and of the stellar surface facing the white dwarf which reprocesses the WD spin pulses. This combination can explain the observed low velocities in FO Aqr. However asymmetries in the orbital configuration are required to explain the double peaked velocity profile. One possible scenario would invoke binary eccentricity. We thus developed a simple binary model to explain and fit our observations, and find a small binary eccentricity of e=0.03. Although small, persistent eccentricity in a close interacting binary would induce enhanced mass transfer occurring preferentially at periastron passages. We thus discuss alternative scenarios where other asymmetries might explain our observations assuming circular orbits. Since FO Aqr is the first system where the combined radial velocities of both the WD and secondary surface have been measured, it is possible that other mass-transferring binaries also display similar velocity curves when observed with Kepler. These will provide additional valuable tests to either confirm or rule out small eccentricities in similar systems.
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