Polarization Light Curves and Spectra of AM-Her Polars

Some polarization spectra and light curves are being generated to explore the properties of AM-Her(culis) shocks for which the cyclotron emission is self-consistently calculated. Here, we quantify several of the relationships between the polarization and the properties of the magnetic field for magnetic white dwarf oscillating radiative accretion shocks. We discuss the properties of the polarization for time scales ≫ tosc, the oscillation period of the radiative shocks. The time-averaged polarization curves are calculated for a polar cap composed of independently oscillating flux tubes. We choose our funnels to cover the polar cap subtending an angle of 18° from the polar axis. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.