Open AccessOrbital period of the dwarf nova HL Canis Majoris
Author(s) -
Still M. D.,
Steeghs D.,
Dhillon V. S.,
Buckley D. A. H.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02932.x
Subject(s) - physics , dwarf nova , astrophysics , white dwarf , orbital period , radial velocity , emission spectrum , astronomy , orbital inclination , accretion disc , effective temperature , accretion (finance) , spectroscopy , intermediate polar , excitation , spectral line , stars , arithmetic , mathematics , quantum mechanics , binary number
We present a small sample of time‐resolved optical spectroscopy of the dwarf nova HL CMa during an outburst state. By combining radial velocity measurements with published data we show that the previously quoted value is not the only candidate for the orbital period of this system. We reduce the significance of daily aliasing but cannot distinguish between two periods at 0.2146±0.0004 and 0.2212±0.0005 d. We show that the low‐excitation emission lines are composites from an accretion disc and the companion star, and that high‐excitation emission originates in the disc or outflowing material associated with the accreting white dwarf.