FITDisk: A Cataclysmic Variable Accretion Disk Demonstration Tool

We present the software tool FITDisk, a precompiled-binary Windows GUIversion of our smoothed particle hydrodynamics cataclysmic variable accretiondisk research code. Cataclysmic variables are binary star systems in which acompact stellar remnant, typically a white dwarf star, is stripping mass from alower-main-sequence companion star by way of an accretion disk. Typically thedisk is the brightest component of the system, because the plasma is heateddramatically as it spirals down in the gravitational well of the primary whitedwarf star. The shortest-period systems can display disk "superhump"oscillations driven by the rotating tidal field of the secondary star. FITDiskmodels these accretion disk phenomena using a fully three-dimensionalhydrodynamics calculation, and data can be visualized as they are computed orstored to hard drive for later playback at a fast frame rate. Simulations arevisualized using OpenGL graphics and the viewing angle can be changedinteractively. Pseudo light curves of simulated systems can be plotted alongwith the associated Fourier amplitude spectrum. FITDisk is available for freedownload at www.astro.fit.edu/cv/fitdisk.html.Comment: 16 pages, 4 color figures, one line figure. Accepted for March 2006 issue of Publ. Ast. Soc. Pacific. v2: fixed a typo in the reference