Open AccessDetermining the mass of the accreting white dwarf in magnetic cataclysmic variables using RXTE data
Author(s) -
Ramsay Gavin
Publication year - 2000
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.1365-8711.2000.03239.x
Subject(s) - white dwarf , physics , astrophysics , astronomy , cataclysmic variable star , intermediate polar , accretion (finance) , stars
We have extracted spectra of 20 magnetic cataclysmic variables (mCVs) from the RXTE archive and best fitted them using the X‐ray continuum method of Cropper et al. to determine the mass of the accreting white dwarf in each system. We find evidence that the mass distribution of these mCVs is significantly different from that of non‐magnetic isolated white dwarfs, with the white dwarfs in mCVs being biased towards higher masses. It is unclear if this effect is a result of selection or whether this reflects a real difference in the parent populations.