Open AccessULTRACAM photometry of the eclipsing cataclysmic variable OU Vir
Author(s) -
Feline W. J.,
Dhillon V. S.,
Marsh T. R.,
Stevenson M. J.,
Watson C. A.,
Brinkworth C. S.
Publication year - 2004
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07281.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , white dwarf , photometry (optics) , light curve , cataclysmic variable star , astronomy , orbital inclination , dwarf nova , intermediate polar , radius , mass ratio , eclipse , black body radiation , orbital period , stars , binary number , optics , arithmetic , mathematics , computer security , computer science , radiation
We present high‐speed, three‐colour photometry of the faint eclipsing cataclysmic variable OU Vir. For the first time in OU Vir, separate eclipses of the white dwarf and the bright spot have been observed. We use timings of these eclipses to derive a purely photometric model of the system, obtaining a mass ratio of q = 0.175 ± 0.025 , an inclination of and a disc radius of R d / a = 0.2315 ± 0.0150 . We separate the white dwarf eclipse from the light curve and, by fitting a blackbody spectrum to its flux in each passband, obtain a white dwarf temperature of T = 13 900 ± 600 K and a distance of D = 51 ± 17 pc . Assuming that the primary obeys the Nauenberg mass–radius relation for white dwarfs and allowing for temperature effects, we also find a primary mass M w /M ⊙ = 0.89 ± 0.20 , a primary radius R w / R ⊙ = 0.0097 ± 0.0031 and an orbital separation a / R ⊙ = 0.74 ± 0.05 .