Hubble space telescope STIS spectroscopy of long-period dwarf novae in quiescence

Sion, Edward M., Gänsicke, Boris T., Long, Knox S., Szkody, Paula, Knigge, Christian, Hubeny, Ivan, deMartino, Domitilla and Godon, Patrick (2008) Hubble space telescope STIS spectroscopy of long-period dwarf novae in quiescence. Astrophysical Journal, 681 (1), [543]. (doi:10.1086/586699).

Abstract

We present the results of a synthetic spectral analysis of HST STIS spectra of five long-period dwarf novae obtained during their quiescence to determine the properties of their white dwarfs, which are little known for systems above the CV period gap. The five systems, TU Men, BD Pav, SS Aur, TT Crt, and V442 Cen, were observed as part of an HST Snapshot project. The spectra are described and fitted with combinations of white dwarf photospheres and accretion disks. We provide evidence that the white dwarfs in all five systems are at least partially exposed. We discuss the evolutionary implications of our model-fitting results and compare these dwarf novae to previously analyzed FUV spectra of other dwarf novae above the period gap. The dispersion in CV WD temperatures above the period gap is substantially greater than one finds below the period gap, where there is a surprisingly narrow dispersion in temperatures around 15,000 K. There appears to be a larger spread of surface temperatures in dwarf novae above the period than is seen below the gap.

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