[en] Chemical abundance studies of cataclysmic variables have revealed high nitrogen to carbon ratios in a number of cataclysmic variable white dwarfs (based on ultraviolet emission and absorption lines), as well as possible carbon deficiency in many secondaries (based on the absence of infrared CO absorption lines). These indicate that the accreted material on the white dwarf surface and the donor itself might be contaminated with CNO processed material. To further understand the origin of this abundance anomaly, there is a need for further chemical abundance study. In the present work, we carry out a far-ultraviolet spectral analysis of the extreme SU UMa dwarf nova TU Men and the U Gem dwarf nova SS Aur using archival spectra. We derive the mass and temperature of the WD using the recently available DR2 Gaia parallaxes. The analysis of HST STIS spectra yields a WD mass $M_{\mathrm{w}\mathrm{d}}={0.77}_{-<!--\; ???\; -->0.13}^{+0.16}{M}_{\odot <!--\; ???\; -->}$ with a temperature of 27,750 ± 1000 K for TU Men and a WD mass M _wd ∼ 0.80 ± 0.15 M _⊙ with a temperature of ∼30,000 ± 1000 K for SS Aur. However, the analysis of a FUSE spectrum for SS Aur gives a higher temperature of ∼33,375 ± 1875 K, yielding a higher WD mass of ∼1 ± 0.25 M _⊙, which could be due to the effect of a second hot emitting component present in the short wavelengths of FUSE. Most importantly, based on the white dwarf far-ultraviolet absorption lines, we find that both systems have subsolar carbon and silicon abundances. For TU Men, we also find suprasolar nitrogen abundance, evidence of CNO processing.

[en] We present the results of a synthetic spectral analysis of the far-ultraviolet archival International Ultraviolet Explorer, Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and FUSE observations of the fast old nova V603 Aql, obtained some 90 years after its 1918 nova outburst. Our analysis utilizes the new Hubble fine guidance sensor parallax distance for this nearly face-on old nova, a high white dwarf (WD) mass, and a low reddening. Our analysis includes non-truncated optically thick accretion disks since V603 Aql is neither a polar nor an intermediate polar. Our synthetic spectral modeling of the FUSE and HST spectra analyzed separately indicate a mass transfer rate of $\stackrel{\dot{}<!--\; ??\; -->}{M}=1.5-<!--\; ???\; -->2.2\times <!--\; ??\; -->{10}^{-<!--\; ???\; -->9}{M}_{\odot <!--\; ???\; -->}$ yr⁻¹ for the FUSE and HST spectra, respectively, assuming a WD mass of $1.2M_{\odot <!--\; ???\; -->}$. The mass accretion rate also depends on the assumed WD mass and increases by a factor of two for a WD mass of $0.8M_{\odot <!--\; ???\; -->}$. Combining the FUSE and HST spectra lead to the same results. Potential implications are discussed.

[en] The old novae V533 Her (Nova Her 1963), DI Lac (Nova Lac 1910), and RR Pic (Nova Pic 1891) are in (or near) their quiescent stage, following their nova explosions, and continue to accrete at a high rate in the aftermath of their explosions. They exhibit continua that are steeply rising into the FUV, as well as absorption lines and emission lines of uncertain origin. All three have Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) spectra that offer not only higher spectral resolution but also wavelength coverage extending down to the Lyman Limit. For DI Lac, we have matched these FUSE spectra with existing archival International Ultraviolet Explorer spectral coverage to broaden the FUV wavelength coverage. We adopted the newly determined interstellar reddening corrections of Selvelli and Gilmozzi. The dereddened FUV spectra have been modeled with our grids of optically thick accretion disks and hot, NLTE white dwarf (WD) photospheres. The results of our modeling analysis indicate that the hot components in RR Pic and V533 Her are likely to be accretion disks with mass accretion rates of 10⁻⁸ M _⊙ yr⁻¹ and 10⁻⁹ M _⊙ yr⁻¹ respectively. However, the disk cannot produce the observed absorption lines. For the WD to be the source of the absorption lines in these two systems, it must be very hot, with a radius several times its expected size (because the WD in these systems is massive, it has a smaller radius). For DI Lac, we find the best fit to be a disk with $\stackrel{\dot{}<!--\; ??\; -->}{M}={10}^{-<!--\; ???\; -->10}{M}_{\odot <!--\; ???\; -->}{\mathrm{y}\mathrm{r}}^{-<!--\; ???\; -->1}$ with a 30,000 K WD.

[en] We present a total of ∼45 ks (3 × 15 ks) of Swift X-Ray Telescope (XRT) observations for three nonmagnetic nova-like (NL) cataclysmic variables (CVs; MV Lyr, BZ Cam, V592 Cas) in order to study characteristics of boundary layers (BLs) in CVs. The nonmagnetic NLs are found mostly in a state of high mass accretion rate (≥1 × 10^–9 M _☉ yr^–1), and some show occasional low states. Using the XRT data, we find optically thin multiple-temperature cooling flow type emission spectra with X-ray temperatures (kT _max) of 21-50 keV. These hard X-ray-emitting BLs diverge from simple isobaric cooling flows, indicating X-ray temperatures that are of virial values in the disk. In addition, we detect power-law emission components from MV Lyr and BZ Cam and plausibly from V592 Cas, which may be a result of the Compton scattering of the optically thin emission from the fast wind outflows in these systems and/or Compton upscattering of the soft disk photons. The X-ray luminosities of the (multitemperature) thermal plasma emission in the 0.1-50.0 keV range are (0.9-5.0) × 10³² erg s^–1. The ratio of the X-ray and disk luminosities (calculated from the UV-optical wavelengths) yields an efficiency (L_x /L _disk) ∼ 0.01-0.001. Given this non-radiative ratio for the X-ray-emitting BLs with no significant optically thick blackbody emission in the soft X-rays (consistent with ROSAT observations), together with the high/virial X-ray temperatures, we suggest that high-state NL systems may have optically thin BLs merged with ADAF-like flows and/or X-ray coronae. In addition, we note that the axisymmetric bipolar and/or rotation-dominated fast-wind outflows detected in these three NLs (particularly BZ Cam and V592 Cas) or some other NL may also be explained in the context of ADAF-like BL regions.

[en] We present the results of a multi-component synthetic spectral analysis of the archival far-ultraviolet spectra of the hot components of several AM CVn double degenerate interacting binaries with known distances from trigonometric parallaxes. Our analysis was carried out using the code BINSYN, which takes into account the donor companion star, the shock front which forms at the disk edge, and the FUV and NUV energy distribution. We fixed the distance of each system at its parallax-derived value and adopted appropriate values of orbital inclination and white dwarf (WD) mass. We find that the accretion-heated 'DO/DB' WDs are contributing significantly to the FUV flux in five of the systems (ES Ceti, CR Boo, V803 Cen, HP Lib, GP Com). In three of the systems, GP Com, ES Ceti, and CR Boo, the WD dominates the FUV/NUV flux. We present model-derived accretion rates which agree with the low end of the range of accretion rates derived earlier from blackbody fits over the entire spectral energy distribution. We find that the WD in ES Ceti is very likely not a direct impact accretor but has a small disk. The WD in ES Ceti has T_eff ∼ 40, 000 ± 10, 000 K. This is far cooler than the previous estimate of Espaillat et al.. We find that the WD in GP Com has T_eff = 14, 800 ± 500 K, which is hotter than the previously estimated temperature of 11,000 K. We present a comparison between our empirical results and current theoretical predictions for these systems.

[en] Using a 2.5D time-dependent numerical code we recently developed, we solve the full compressible Navier-Stokes equations to determine the structure of the boundary layer (BL) between the white dwarf (WD) and the accretion disk in nonmagnetic cataclysmic variable systems. In this preliminary work, our numerical approach does not include radiation. In the energy equation, we either take the dissipation function (Φ) into account or we assume that the energy dissipated by viscous processes is instantly radiated away (Φ = 0). For a slowly rotating nonmagnetized accreting WD, the accretion disk extends all the way to the stellar surface. There, the matter impacts and spreads toward the poles as new matter continuously piles up behind it. We carry out numerical simulations for different values of the alpha-viscosity parameter (α), corresponding to different mass accretion rates. In the high viscosity cases (α = 0.1), the spreading BL sets off a gravity wave in the surface matter. The accretion flow moves supersonically over the cusp making it susceptible to the rapid development of gravity wave and/or Kelvin-Helmholtz shearing instabilities. This BL is optically thick and extends more than 30 deg. to either side of the disk plane after only 3/4 of a Keplerian rotation period (t_K = 19 s). In the low viscosity cases (α = 0.001), the spreading BL does not set off gravity waves and it is optically thin.

[en] AG Dra is a symbiotic variable consisting of a metal-poor, yellow giant mass donor underfilling its Roche lobe and a hot accreting white dwarf, possibly surrounded by an optically thick, bright accretion disk (which could be present from wind accretion). We constructed NLTE synthetic spectral models for white dwarf spectra and optically thick accretion disk spectra to model a FUSE spectrum of AG Dra, obtained when the hot component is viewed in front of the yellow giant. The spectrum has been dereddened (E(B – V) = 0.05) and the model fitting carried out, with the distance regarded as a free parameter but required to be larger than the Hipparcos lower limit of 1 kpc. We find that the best-fitting model is a bare accreting white dwarf with M_wd = 0.4 M_☉, T_eff = 80,000 K, and a model-derived distance of 1543 pc. Higher temperatures are ruled out due to excess flux at the shortest wavelengths while a lower temperature decreases the distance below 1 kpc. Any accretion disk that might be present is only a minor contributor to the far-UV flux. This raises the possibility that the soft X-rays originate from a very hot boundary layer between a putative accretion disk and the accreting star.

[en] We have carried out a combined Hubble Space Telescope (HST/GHRS) and Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) analysis of the prototype dwarf nova SS Cygni during quiescence. The FUSE and HST spectra were obtained at comparable times after outburst and have matching flux levels where the two spectra overlap. In our synthetic spectral analysis, we have used SS Cygni's accurate HST fine guidance sensor parallax giving d = 166 pc, a newly determined mass for the accreting white dwarf (WD) of M_wd = 0.81 M_sun (lower than the previous widely used 1.2 M_sun) and the reddening (E_B-V) values 0.04 and 0.07 derived from the 2175 A absorption feature in the IUE LWP spectra. From the best-fit model solutions to the combined HST + FUSE spectral energy distribution, we find that the WD is reaching a temperature T_eff∼ 45,000-55,000 K in quiescence, assuming log(g) = 8.3 with a solar composition accreted atmosphere. The exact temperature of the WD depends on the reddening assumed and the inclusion of a quiescent low mass accretion rate accretion disk. Accretion disk models alone fit badly in the FUSE range while, and if we take the distance to be a free parameter, the only accretion disk model that fits well is for a discordant distance of at least several hundred parsecs and an accretion rate (∼10^-8 M_sun yr^-1), which is unacceptably high for a dwarf nova in quiescence. We discuss the implications of the WD's temperature on the time-averaged accretion rate and long-term compressional heating models.

[en] The standard disk is often inadequate to model disk-dominated cataclysmic variables (CVs) and generates a spectrum that is bluer than the observed UV spectra. X-ray observations of these systems reveal an optically thin boundary layer (BL) expected to appear as an inner hole in the disk. Consequently, we truncate the inner disk. However, instead of removing the inner disk, we impose the no-shear boundary condition at the truncation radius, thereby lowering the disk temperature and generating a spectrum that better fits the UV data. With our modified disk, we analyze the archival UV spectra of three novalikes that cannot be fitted with standard disks. For the VY Scl systems MV Lyr and BZ Cam, we fit a hot inflated white dwarf (WD) with a cold modified disk ($\stackrel{\dot{}<!--\; ??\; -->}{M}\sim <!--\; ???\; -->$ a few 10⁻⁹ M _⊙ yr⁻¹). For V592 Cas, the slightly modified disk ($\stackrel{\dot{}<!--\; ??\; -->}{M}\sim <!--\; ???\; -->6\times <!--\; ??\; -->{10}^{-<!--\; ???\; -->9}{M}_{\odot <!--\; ???\; -->}{\mathrm{y}\mathrm{r}}^{-<!--\; ???\; -->1}$) completely dominates the UV. These results are consistent with Swift X-ray observations of these systems, revealing BLs merged with ADAF-like flows and/or hot coronae, where the advection of energy is likely launching an outflow and heating the WD, thereby explaining the high WD temperature in VY Scl systems. This is further supported by the fact that the X-ray hardness ratio increases with the shallowness of the UV slope in a small CV sample we examine. Furthermore, for 105 disk-dominated systems, the International Ultraviolet Explorer spectra UV slope decreases in the same order as the ratio of the X-ray flux to optical/UV flux: from SU UMa’s, to U Gem’s, Z Cam’s, UX UMa’s, and VY Scl’s.

[en] We present a spectral analysis of the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) spectra of eight high-declination dwarf novae (DNs) obtained from a Cycle 7 FUSE survey. These DN systems have not been previously studied in the UV and little is known about their white dwarfs (WDs) or accretion disks. We carry out the spectral analysis of the FUSE data using synthetic spectra generated with the codes TLUSTY and SYNSPEC. For two faint objects (AQ Men and V433 Ara) we can only assess a lower limit for the WD temperature or mass accretion rate. NSV 10934 was caught in a quiescent state and its spectrum is consistent with a low-mass accretion rate disk. For five objects (HP Nor, DT Aps, AM Cas, FO Per, and ES Dra), we obtain WD temperatures between 34,000 K and 40,000 K and/or mass accretion rates consistent with intermediate to outburst states. These temperatures reflect the heating of the WD due to on-going accretion and are similar to the temperatures of other DNs observed on the rise to, and in decline from outburst. The WD temperatures we obtain should therefore be considered as upper limits, and it is likely that during quiescence AM Cas, FO Per, and ES Dra are near the average WD T_eff for catalcysmic variables above the period gap (∼30,000 K), similar to U Gem, SS Aur, and RX And.