ASASSN-14dx: A cataclysmic variable harbouring a massive pulsating white dwarf

Fuente: arXiv
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: Hakala, Pasi, Pelisoli, Ingrid, Gaensicke, Boris T., Rodriguez-Gil, Pablo, Marsh, Thomas R., Breedt, Elme, Thorstensen, John R., Pala, Anna F.
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866909572883546112
author Hakala, Pasi
Pelisoli, Ingrid
Gaensicke, Boris T.
Rodriguez-Gil, Pablo
Marsh, Thomas R.
Breedt, Elme
Thorstensen, John R.
Pala, Anna F.
author_facet Hakala, Pasi
Pelisoli, Ingrid
Gaensicke, Boris T.
Rodriguez-Gil, Pablo
Marsh, Thomas R.
Breedt, Elme
Thorstensen, John R.
Pala, Anna F.
contents We present the results of our study of ASASSN-14dx, a previously known but poorly characterised cataclysmic variable (CV). The source was observed as part of an ongoing high-time-resolution photometric survey of CVs, which revealed that, in addition to the known 82.8min orbital period, it also exhibits other transient periods, the strongest of which around 4 and 14 min. Here, we report our findings resulting from a multifaceted follow-up programme consisting of optical spectroscopy, spectropolarimetry, imaging polarimetry, and multicolour fast photometry. We find that the source displays complex optical variability, which is best explained by the presence of a massive white dwarf exhibiting non-radial pulsations. An intermediate polar-like scenario involving a spinning magnetic white dwarf can be ruled out based on the detected changes in the observed periods. Based on our optical spectroscopy, we can constrain the mass and effective temperature of the white dwarf to be ~1.1 Msol and 16 100 K, respectively. The overall intrinsic flux level of the source is unusually high, suggesting that there remains significant residual emission from the accretion disc and/or the white dwarf even ten years after the 2014 outburst. Finally, we cannot detect any spectroscopic signatures from the donor star, making ASASSN-14dx a possible period bouncer system evolving towards a longer orbital period.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_07071
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle ASASSN-14dx: A cataclysmic variable harbouring a massive pulsating white dwarf
Hakala, Pasi
Pelisoli, Ingrid
Gaensicke, Boris T.
Rodriguez-Gil, Pablo
Marsh, Thomas R.
Breedt, Elme
Thorstensen, John R.
Pala, Anna F.
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
We present the results of our study of ASASSN-14dx, a previously known but poorly characterised cataclysmic variable (CV). The source was observed as part of an ongoing high-time-resolution photometric survey of CVs, which revealed that, in addition to the known 82.8min orbital period, it also exhibits other transient periods, the strongest of which around 4 and 14 min. Here, we report our findings resulting from a multifaceted follow-up programme consisting of optical spectroscopy, spectropolarimetry, imaging polarimetry, and multicolour fast photometry. We find that the source displays complex optical variability, which is best explained by the presence of a massive white dwarf exhibiting non-radial pulsations. An intermediate polar-like scenario involving a spinning magnetic white dwarf can be ruled out based on the detected changes in the observed periods. Based on our optical spectroscopy, we can constrain the mass and effective temperature of the white dwarf to be ~1.1 Msol and 16 100 K, respectively. The overall intrinsic flux level of the source is unusually high, suggesting that there remains significant residual emission from the accretion disc and/or the white dwarf even ten years after the 2014 outburst. Finally, we cannot detect any spectroscopic signatures from the donor star, making ASASSN-14dx a possible period bouncer system evolving towards a longer orbital period.
title ASASSN-14dx: A cataclysmic variable harbouring a massive pulsating white dwarf
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.07071