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Published May 1, 2014 | Published + Submitted
Journal Article Open

Nova-like Cataclysmic Variables in the Infrared

Abstract

Nova-like (NL) cataclysmic variables have persistently high mass transfer rates and prominent steady state accretion disks. We present an analysis of infrared observations of 12 NLs obtained from the Two Micron All Sky Survey, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer All Sky Survey. The presence of an infrared excess at λ ≳ 3-5 μm over the expectation of a theoretical steady state accretion disk is ubiquitous in our sample. The strength of the infrared excess is not correlated with orbital period, but shows a statistically significant correlation (but shallow trend) with system inclination that might be partially (but not completely) linked to the increasing view of the cooler outer accretion disk and disk rim at higher inclinations. We discuss the possible origin of the infrared excess in terms of emission from bremsstrahlung or circumbinary dust, with either mechanism facilitated by the mass outflows (e.g., disk wind/corona, accretion stream overflow, and so on) present in NLs. Our comparison of the relative advantages and disadvantages of either mechanism for explaining the observations suggests that the situation is rather ambiguous, largely circumstantial, and in need of stricter observational constraints.

Additional Information

© 2014 American Astronomical Society. Received 2013 December 13; accepted 2014 March 20; published 2014 April 16. This work is based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology (Caltech), under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Support for this work was provided by NASA. We acknowledge with thanks the variable star observations from the AAVSO International Database contributed by observers worldwide and used in this research. This work is also based on data, data products, and other resources obtained from: (1) The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), a joint project of the University of Massachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC)/Caltech, funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF). (2) NASA's Astrophysics Data System. (3) The NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA), which is operated by JPL/Caltech, under a contract with NASA. (4) The SIMBAD database, operated at CDS, Strasbourg, France. (5) The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), which is a joint project of the University of California, Los Angeles, and JPL/Caltech, funded by NASA. Facilities: AAVSO, Spitzer, WISE

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Published - 0004-637X_786_1_68.pdf

Submitted - 1403.6601v1.pdf

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August 22, 2023
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