Modeling Eclipses in the Classical Nova V Persei: The Role of the Accretion Disk Rim

Multicolor (BVRI) light curves of the eclipsing classical nova V Per arepresented, and a total of twelve new eclipse timings are measured for thesystem. When combined with previous eclipse timings from the literature, thesetimings yield a revised ephemeris for the times of mid-eclipse given by HJD =2,447,442.8260(1) + 0.107123474(3) E. The eclipse profiles are analyzed with aparameter-fitting model that assumes four sources of luminosity: a white dwarfprimary star, a main-sequence secondary star, a flared accretion disk with arim, and a bright spot at the intersection of the mass-transfer stream and thedisk periphery. A matrix of model solutions are computed, covering an extensiverange of plausible parameter values. The solution matrix is then explored todetermine the optimum values for the fitting parameters and their associatederrors. For models that treat the accretion disk as a flat structure without arim, optimum fits require that the disk have a flat temperature profile.Although models with a truncated inner disk (R_in >> R_wd) result in a steepertemperature profile, steady-state models with a temperature profilecharacterized by T(r) \propto r^{-3/4} are found only for models with asignificant disk rim. A comparison of the observed brightness and color atmid-eclipse with the photometric properties of the best-fitting model suggeststhat V Per lies at a distance of ~ 1 kpc.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. Thirty-nine pages, including 9 figures. V2 - updated to include additional references and related discussion to previous work overlooked in the original version, and to correct a typo in the ephemeris given in the abstract. V3 - Minor typos corrected. The paper is scheduled for the 20 June 2006 issue of the ApJ. V4 - An error in equation (9) has been corrected. The results presented in the paper were not affected, as all computations were made using the correct formulation of this equatio