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The evolutionary status of cataclysmic variables: Eclipse modelling of 15 systems

The evolutionary status of cataclysmic variables: Eclipse modelling of 15 systems
The evolutionary status of cataclysmic variables: Eclipse modelling of 15 systems

We present measurements of the component masses in 15 Cataclysmic Variables (CVs) - 6 new estimates and 9 improved estimates. We provide new calibrations of the relationship between superhump period excess and mass ratio, and use this relation to estimate donor star masses for 225 superhumping CVs. With an increased sample of donor masses we revisit the implications for CV evolution. We confirm the high mass of white dwarfs in CVs, but find no trend in white dwarf mass with orbital period. We argue for a revision in the location of the orbital period minimum of CVs to 79.6±0.2min, significantly shorter than previous estimates. We find that CV donors below the gap have an intrinsic scatter of only 0.005 R around a common evolutionary track, implying a correspondingly small variation in angular momentum loss (AML) rates. In contrast to prior studies, we find that standard CV evolutionary tracks - without additional AML - are a reasonable fit to the donor masses just below the period gap, but that they do not reproduce the observed period minimum, or fit the donor radii below 0.1M.

Binaries: close, Binaries: eclipsing, Novae, cataclysmic variables, Stars: dwarf novae, Stars: evolution, White dwarfs
1365-2966
5535-5551
McAllister, M.
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Littlefair, S. P.
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Parsons, S. G.
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Dhillon, V. S.
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Marsh, T. R.
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Gänsicke, B. T.
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Breedt, E.
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Copperwheat, C.
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Green, M. J.
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Knigge, C.
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Sahman, D. I.
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Dyer, Martin J.
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Kerry, P.
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Ashley, R. P.
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Irawati, P.
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Rattanasoon, S.
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McAllister, M.
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Littlefair, S. P.
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Parsons, S. G.
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Dhillon, V. S.
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Marsh, T. R.
9bb19766-4a1d-4f18-b137-4731ae347638
Gänsicke, B. T.
20806b60-c78c-466d-9384-4cd19507cc68
Breedt, E.
8a142b4e-67c2-4d4e-a7d5-9d179a63b2ec
Copperwheat, C.
19d38baf-98fd-4c58-9fe3-24a5da787baf
Green, M. J.
c28e0886-52a6-4926-aeb0-07c49760d7a9
Knigge, C.
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Sahman, D. I.
a2a291c4-7fd2-4365-a4d4-11e6305ec56a
Dyer, Martin J.
1610918c-a452-434b-a101-fd71570b8da9
Kerry, P.
ffadbc6f-b17b-435f-8f11-e9a482fee8b1
Ashley, R. P.
9d432117-f394-4b22-8eaa-a99650dff59f
Irawati, P.
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Rattanasoon, S.
18325c5a-9592-43ef-8491-33c7bb62966a

McAllister, M., Littlefair, S. P., Parsons, S. G., Dhillon, V. S., Marsh, T. R., Gänsicke, B. T., Breedt, E., Copperwheat, C., Green, M. J., Knigge, C., Sahman, D. I., Dyer, Martin J., Kerry, P., Ashley, R. P., Irawati, P. and Rattanasoon, S. (2019) The evolutionary status of cataclysmic variables: Eclipse modelling of 15 systems. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 486 (4), 5535-5551. (doi:10.1093/mnras/stz976).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We present measurements of the component masses in 15 Cataclysmic Variables (CVs) - 6 new estimates and 9 improved estimates. We provide new calibrations of the relationship between superhump period excess and mass ratio, and use this relation to estimate donor star masses for 225 superhumping CVs. With an increased sample of donor masses we revisit the implications for CV evolution. We confirm the high mass of white dwarfs in CVs, but find no trend in white dwarf mass with orbital period. We argue for a revision in the location of the orbital period minimum of CVs to 79.6±0.2min, significantly shorter than previous estimates. We find that CV donors below the gap have an intrinsic scatter of only 0.005 R around a common evolutionary track, implying a correspondingly small variation in angular momentum loss (AML) rates. In contrast to prior studies, we find that standard CV evolutionary tracks - without additional AML - are a reasonable fit to the donor masses just below the period gap, but that they do not reproduce the observed period minimum, or fit the donor radii below 0.1M.

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Accepted/In Press date: 1 April 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 24 April 2019
Published date: July 2019
Additional Information: This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2019 The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Binaries: close, Binaries: eclipsing, Novae, cataclysmic variables, Stars: dwarf novae, Stars: evolution, White dwarfs

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 432543
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/432543
ISSN: 1365-2966
PURE UUID: 405d1b35-ec70-4213-85c8-e50b4eaf4a68

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Date deposited: 17 Jul 2019 16:31
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 12:30

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Contributors

Author: M. McAllister
Author: S. P. Littlefair
Author: S. G. Parsons
Author: V. S. Dhillon
Author: T. R. Marsh
Author: B. T. Gänsicke
Author: E. Breedt
Author: C. Copperwheat
Author: M. J. Green
Author: C. Knigge
Author: D. I. Sahman
Author: Martin J. Dyer
Author: P. Kerry
Author: R. P. Ashley
Author: P. Irawati
Author: S. Rattanasoon

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