Dwarf nova oscillations and quasi-periodic oscillations in cataclysmic variables – IV. Observations of frequency doubling and tripling in VW Hyi

We present new observations of the rapid oscillations in the dwarf nova VW Hyi, made late in outburst. These dwarf nova oscillations (DNOs) increase in period until they reach 33 s, when a transition to a strong 1st harmonic and weak fundamental takes place. After further period increase, the 2nd harmonic appears; often all three components are present simultaneously. This 1:2:3 frequency suite is similar to what has been seen in some neutron star and black hole X-ray binaries, but has not previously been seen in a cataclysmic variable. When studied in detail, the fundamental and 2nd harmonic vary similarly in phase, but the 1st harmonic behaves independently, though keeping close to twice the frequency of the fundamental. The fundamental period of the DNOs, as directly observed or inferred from the harmonics, increases to ∼100 s before the oscillation disappears as the star reaches quiescence. Its maximum period is close to that of the 'longer-period' DNOs observed in VW Hyi. The quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), which have fundamental periods 400–1000 s, behave in the same way, showing 1st and 2nd harmonics at approximately the same times as the DNOs. We explore some possible models. One in which the existence of the 1st harmonic is due to the transition from viewing a single accretion region to viewing two regions, and the rate of accretion on to the primary is modulated at the frequency of the 1st harmonic, as in the 'beat frequency model', can generate the suite of DNO frequencies observed. But the behaviour of the QPOs is not yet understood.     

Dwarf nova oscillations and quasi-periodic oscillations in cataclysmic variables – V. Results from an extensive survey

We present observations of dwarf nova oscillations (DNOs), longer-period dwarf nova oscillations (lpDNOs), and quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in 13 cataclysmic variable stars. In the six systems, WW Cet, BP CrA, BR Lup, HP Nor, AG Hya and V1193 Ori, rapid, quasi-coherent oscillations are detected for the first time. For the remainder of the systems discussed, we have observed more classes of oscillations, in addition to the rapid oscillations they were already known to display, or previously unknown aspects of the behaviour of the oscillations. The period of a QPO in RU Peg is seen to change by 84 per cent over the 10 nights of the decline from outburst – the largest evolution of a QPO period observed to date. A period–luminosity relation similar to the relation that has long been known to apply to DNOs is found for lpDNOs in X Leo; this is the first clear case of the lpDNO frequency scaling with accretion luminosity. WX Hyi and V893 Sco are added to the small list of dwarf novae that have shown oscillations in quiescence.     

Dwarf nova oscillations and quasi-periodic oscillations in cataclysmic variables – II. A low-inertia magnetic accretor model

The dwarf nova oscillations observed in cataclysmic variable (CV) stars are interpreted in the context of a low-inertia accretor model, in which accretion on to an equatorial belt of the white dwarf primary causes the belt to vary its angular velocity. The rapid deceleration phase is attributed to propellering. Evidence that temporary expulsion rather than accretion of gas occurs during this phase is obtained from the large drop in extreme ultraviolet flux.
We show that the quasi-periodic oscillations are most probably caused by a vertical thickening of the disc, moving as a travelling wave near the inner edge of the disc. This alternately obscures and 'reflects' radiation from the central source, and is visible even in quite low inclination systems. A possible excitation mechanism, caused by winding up and reconnection of magnetic field lines, is proposed.
We apply the model, deduced largely from VW Hyi observations, to re-interpret observations of SS Cyg, OY Car, UX UMa, V2051 Oph, V436 Cen and WZ Sge. In the last of these we demonstrate the existence of a 742-s period in the light curve, arising from obscuration by the travelling wave, and hence show that the two principal oscillations are a dwarf nova oscillation and its reprocessed companion.     

X-ray and ultraviolet observations of the dwarf nova VW Hyi in quiescence

We present an analysis of X-ray and ultraviolet (UV) data of the dwarf nova VW Hyi that were obtained with XMM–Newton during the quiescent state. The X-ray spectrum indicates the presence of an optically thin plasma in the boundary layer that cools as it settles on to the white dwarf. The plasma has a continuous temperature distribution that is well described by a power law or a cooling flow model with a maximum temperature of 6–8 keV. We estimate from the X-ray spectrum a boundary layer luminosity of  8 × 10³⁰ erg s^-1  , which is only 20 per cent of the disc luminosity. The rate of accretion on to the white dwarf is  5 × 10⁻¹² M_⊙ yr⁻¹  , about half of the rate in the disc. From the high-resolution X-ray spectra, we estimate that the X-ray emitting part of the boundary layer is rotating with a velocity of 540 km s⁻¹, which is close to the rotation velocity of the white dwarf but is significantly smaller than the Keplerian velocity. We detect a 60-s quasi-periodic oscillation of the X-ray flux, which is likely to be due to the rotation of the boundary layer. The X-ray and the UV flux show strong variability on a time-scale of ∼1500 s. We find that the variability in the two bands is correlated and that the X-ray fluctuations are delayed by ∼100 s. The correlation indicates that the variable UV flux is emitted near the transition region between the disc and the boundary layer and that accretion rate fluctuations in this region are propagated to the X-ray emitting part of the boundary layer within ∼100 s. An orbital modulation of the X-ray flux suggests that the inner accretion disc is tilted with respect to the orbital plane. The elemental abundances in the boundary layer are close to their solar values.     

The boundary layer of VW Hydri in quiescence

In this short paper, we suggest that the missing boundary layer luminosity of dwarf novae in quiescence is released mainly in the ultraviolet (UV) as the second component commonly identified in the far-UV as the 'accretion belt'. We present the well-studied SU UMa-type system VW Hyi in detail as a prototype for such a scenario. We consider detailed multiwavelength observations and in particular the recent Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer ( FUSE ) observations of VW Hyi in quiescence, which confirm the presence of a second component (the 'accretion belt') in the far-UV spectrum. The temperature  (≈ 50 000 K)  and rotational velocity  (≈ 3000 km s ⁻¹)  of this second component are entirely consistent with the optically thick region  (τ≈ 1)  located just at the outer edge of optically thin boundary layer in the simulations of Popham. This second component contributes about 20 per cent of the far-UV flux. Using geometrical assumptions and taking into account the X-ray luminosity, we find that the total boundary layer luminosity sums up to   L _BL= (0.53 ± 0.25) L _disc  , while the theory (Kluźniak) predicts, for the rotation rate of VW Hyi's white dwarf,   L _BL≈ (0.76 ± 0.03) L _disc  . About one-fifth of the boundary layer energy is emitted in the X-ray and the remaining is emitted in the UV. This scenario is consistent with the recent simultaneous X-ray and UV observations of VW Hyi by Pandel, Córdova & Howell, from which we deduce here that the viscosity in the boundary layer region must be of the order of  ν≈ 10¹³–10¹⁴ cm² s ⁻¹  , depending on the white dwarf mass and the size of the boundary layer.     

Infrared spectroscopy of cataclysmic variables – III. Dwarf novae below the period gap and nova-like variables

We present K -band spectra of the short-period dwarf novae YZ Cnc, LY Hya, BK Lyn, T Leo, SW UMa and WZ Sge, the nova-like variables DW UMa, V1315 Aql, RW Tri, VY Scl, UU Aqr and GP Com, and a series of field dwarf stars with spectral types ranging from K2 to M6.
The spectra of the dwarf novae are dominated by emission lines of H  i and He  i . The large velocity and equivalent widths of these lines, in conjunction with the fact that the lines are double-peaked in the highest inclination systems, indicate an accretion disc origin. In the case of YZ Cnc and T Leo, for which we obtained time-resolved data covering a complete orbital cycle, the emission lines show modulations in their equivalent widths that are most probably associated with the bright spot (the region where the gas stream collides with the accretion disc). There are no clear detections of the secondary star in any of the dwarf novae below the period gap, yielding upper limits of 10–30 per cent for the contribution of the secondary star to the observed K -band flux. In conjunction with the K -band magnitudes of the dwarf novae, we use the derived secondary star contributions to calculate lower limits to the distances to these systems.
The spectra of the nova-like variables are dominated by broad, single-peaked emission lines of H  i and He  i – even the eclipsing systems we observed do not show the double-peaked profiles predicted by standard accretion disc theory. With the exception of RW Tri, which exhibits Na  i , Ca  i and ¹²CO absorption features consistent with a M0V secondary contributing 65 per cent of the observed K -band flux, we find no evidence for the secondary star in any of the nova-like variables. The implications of this result are discussed.     

A boundary layer origin for dwarf nova oscillations

Dwarf nova oscillations (DNOs) have been observed in a number of cataclysmic variables. I propose that these oscillations could be produced by a non-axisymmetric bulge at the transition between the optically thick disc and the optically thin boundary layer region. This would naturally explain the observed oscillation periods and the dependence of the oscillation amplitude on photon energy. The transition radius moves inward and outward with changing mass accretion rate, which explains the correlation between period and flux, and the time-scale for period variations. The underlying cause of the non-axisymmetry that produces the oscillations is not known, so it is not possible to predict the oscillation amplitude from first principles.     

Emission-line oscillations in the dwarf nova V2051 Ophiuchi

We have detected coherent oscillations, at multiple frequencies, in the line and continuum emission of the eclipsing dwarf nova V2051 Ophiuchi using the 10-m Keck II telescope. Our own novel data acquisition system allowed us to obtain very fast spectroscopy using a continuous readout of the CCD on the LRIS spectrograph. This is the first time that dwarf nova oscillations have been detected and resolved in the emission lines. The accretion disc is highly asymmetric with a stronger contribution from the blueshifted side of the disc during our observations. The disc extends from close to the white dwarf out to the outer regions of the primary Roche lobe.
Continuum oscillations at 56.12 s and its first harmonic at 28.06 s are most likely to originate on the surface of a spinning white dwarf with the fundamental period corresponding to the spin period. Balmer and helium emission lines oscillate with a period of 29.77 s at a mean amplitude of 1.9 per cent. The line kinematics and the eclipse constraints indicate an origin in the accretion disc at a radius of 12±2 R _wd. The amplitude of the emission-line oscillation modulates (0–4 per cent) at a period of 488 s, corresponding to the Kepler period at R =12 R _wd. This modulation is caused by the beating between the white dwarf spin and the orbital motion in the disc.
The observed emission-line oscillations cannot be explained by a truncated disc as in the intermediate polars. The observations suggest a non-axisymmetric bulge in the disc, orbiting at 12 R _wd, is required. The close correspondence between the location of the oscillations and the circularization radius of the system suggests that stream overflow effects may be of relevance.     

Substantial stream–disc overflow found in three-dimensional SPH simulations of cataclysmic variables

We study numerically the interaction of the infalling gas stream and the rim of the accretion disc in cataclysmic variables. The simulations were performed with a smoothed particle hydrodynamics scheme with high spatial resolution. Parameters of the systems AM CVn, OY Car, DQ Her, U Gem and IP Peg were used for the simulations. The simulations cover a wide range of orbital periods, mass ratios and mass transfer rates, as well as different thermal states of the accretion disc. The main result of this study is that the accretion stream is not stopped at the impact region (the bright spot at the outer rim of the disc). In fact, after undergoing the shock interaction, most of the matter is deflected vertically and flows in a more or less diffuse stream to inner parts of the disc, hitting the disc surface close to the circularization radius at orbital phase 0.5. This is a common feature in all systems for all simulated parameters. This stream overflow can cause the X-ray absorption dips observed in cataclysmic variables (CVs) and low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) around orbital phase 0.7, if the inclination is at least 65°. Under certain circumstances, namely a sudden increase of the mass transfer rate from the secondary or a rather small disc, parts of the overflowing stream bounce off the disc surface after hitting it at orbital phase ≈0.5. Another absorption region can be expected around orbital phase 0.2.
In our simulations most of the infalling matter reaches the inner disc very quickly. This must alter the evolution of the quiescent disc and the outburst behaviour considerably compared with purely viscous transport of the material through the disc from the outer rim, and therefore should be taken into account in dwarf nova outburst cycle calculations. To our knowledge, the consequences of such a massive stream overflow for the dwarf nova outburst cycle have not been considered yet.     

Superhumps in the helium dwarf nova KL Draconis

We report on the discovery of a 25.5-min superhump period for the suspected helium dwarf nova system KL Draconis in a high state. The presence of superhumps combined with the previously observed helium spectrum and large-amplitude photometric variations confirm that KL Dra is an AM CVn system similar to CR Bootis, V803 Cen and CP Eridani. We also find a low-state photometric period at 25.0 min that we suggest may be the orbital period. With this assumption, we estimate   q =0.075  ,   M ₁=0.76 M_⊙  and   M ₂=0.057 M_⊙  .     

A double-frequency dwarf nova oscillation in OY Car

We have detected coherent oscillations ('dwarf nova oscillations') in Hubble Space Telescope spectra of the dwarf nova OY Car. The oscillations were seen towards the end of a superoutburst of OY Car. The oscillations are extraordinary compared with the many other examples in the literature for two reasons. First, their amplitude is large, with a peak-to-peak variation of 8 to 20 per cent of the total flux over the range 1100 to 2500 Å. However, most remarkably we find that there are two components present simultaneously. Both have periods close to 18 s (equivalent to 4800 cycle d⁻¹) but they are separated by 57.7 ± 0.5 cycle d⁻¹. The lower frequency component of the pair has a strong second harmonic while its companion, which has about twice its amplitude, does not. The oscillation spectra appear hotter than the mean spectrum and approximately follow the continuum distribution of a blackbody with a temperature in the range 30 000 to 50 000 K. We tentatively suggest that the weaker non-sinusoidal component could represent the rotation of the white dwarf, although we have been unable to recover any such signal in quiescent data.     

Iron Kα linewidths in magnetic cataclysmic variables

Following a recent report that AO Psc has broad iron Kα emission lines we have looked at the ASCA spectra of 15 magnetic cataclysmic variables. We find that half of the systems have Kα lines broadened by ∼ 200 eV, while the remainder have narrow lines. We argue that the Doppler effect is insufficient to explain the finding and propose that the lines originate in accretion columns on the verge of optical thickness, where Compton scattering of resonantly trapped line photons broadens the profile. We suggest that the broadening is a valuable diagnostic of conditions in the accretion column.