VLT Spectroscopy of Six Short-Period Cataclysmic Variables (original) (raw)

Abstract

We present optical spectroscopy of six short-period cataclysmic variable stars obtained with ESO's 8-meter Very Large Telescope. Four of the stars and their K1 amplitudes are GW Lib, 43.3 km/s; BW Scl, 56.6 km/s; V436 Cen, 77.5 km/s; VY Aqr, 48.7 km/s; and Z Cha, 180.6 km/s. We determined the mass ratio, q, for each system, but found likely unrealistic q values for GW Lib and Z Cha. GW Lib is a low inclination system and its accretion may be more of an accretion ring than an accretion disk. Z Cha's high inclination and strong hot spot impact the determination of q. V436 Cen's spectra show a strongly- rising blue continuum and Balmer decrements HAlpha/HBeta and HDelta/HBeta indicative an optically thick disk with a hot, thin chromosphere. WZ Sge was observed soon after its 2001 superoutburst. The emission lines were strongly dominated by the S-wave component leading to a unique radial velocity curve. We can model the RV variations as a combination of the underlying, weak ...

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