An XMM-Newton timing analysis of the eclipsing polar DP Leo

We present an analysis of the X-ray light curves of the magnetic cataclysmic variable DP Leo using recently performed XMM-Newton EPIC and archival ROSAT PSPC observations. We determine the eclipse length at X-ray wavelengths to be 235 +-5 s, slightly longer than at ultra-violet wavelengths, where it lasts 225s. The implied inclination and mass ratio for an assumed 0.6 M(sun) white dwarf are i=79.7 degrees and Q = M(wd)/M2 = 6.7. We determine a new linear X-ray eclipse and orbital ephemeris which connects the more than 120000 binary cycles covered since 1979. Over the last twenty years, the optical and X-ray bright phases display a continuous shift with respect to the eclipse center by \~2.1 degr/yr. Over the last 8.5 years the shift of the X-ray bright phase is \~2.5 degr/yr. We interpret this as evidence of an asynchronously rotating white dwarf although synchronization oscillations cannot be ruled out completely. If the observed phase shift continues, a fundamental rearrangement of the accretion geometry must occur on a time-scale of some ten years. DP Leo is marginally detected at eclipse phase. The upper limit eclipse flux is consistent with an origin on the late-type secondary, L_X ~ 2.5 x 10**(29) ergs/s (0.20-7.55 keV}), at a distance of 400 pc

The White Dwarf Binary Pathways Survey. V. The Gaia White Dwarf Plus AFGK binary sample and the identification of 23 close binaries

Close white dwarf binaries consisting of a white dwarf and an A-, F-, G-, or K-type main-sequence star, henceforth close WD+AFGK binaries, are ideal systems to understand the nature of type Ia supernovae progenitors and to test binary evolution models. In this work we identify 775 WD+AFGK candidates from TGAS (The Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution) and Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2), a well-defined sample of stars with available parallaxes, and we measure radial velocities (RVs) for 275 of them with the aim of identifying close binaries. The RVs have been measured from high-resolution spectra obtained at the Xinglong 2.16 m Telescope and the San Pedro Mártir 2.12 m Telescope and/or from available LAMOST DR6 (low-resolution) and RAVE DR5 (medium-resolution) spectra. We identify 23 WD+AFGK systems displaying more than 3σ RV variation among 151 systems for which the measured values are obtained from different nights. Our WD+AFGK binary sample contains both AFGK dwarfs and giants, with a giant fraction ~43%. The close binary fractions we determine for the WD+AFGK dwarf and giant samples are sime24% and sime15%, respectively. We also determine the stellar parameters (i.e., effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, mass, and radius) of the AFGK companions with available high-resolution spectra. The stellar parameter distributions of the AFGK companions that are members of close and wide binary candidates do not show statistically significant differences

The Hidden Population of AM CVn Binaries in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Contains fulltext : 150794.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

A multiwavelength timing analysis of the eclipsing polar DP Leo

We present an analysis of the X-ray light curves of the magnetic cataclysmic variable DP Leo using recently performed XMM-Newton EPIC and archival published and unpublished ROSAT PSPC observations. We combine the timings of the X-ray eclipses with timings derived from archival HST-observations and new optical observations with the photon counting OPTIMA camera. We determine the eclipse length at X-ray wavelengths to be 235 +/- 5 s, slightly longer than at ultra-violet wavelengths, where it lasts 225 s. A new orbital ephemeris is derived which connects the more than 120 000 binary cycles covered since 1979. It has a highly significant quadratic term, implying an orbital period change of (P) over dot = 4.4 x 10(-12) s s(-1), two orders of magnitude larger than being compatible with braking by gravitational radiation only. Over the last twenty years, the optical and X-ray bright phases display a continuous shift with respect to the eclipse center by similar to 2.1degrees yr(-1). Over the last 8.5 years the shift of the X-ray bright phase is similar to 2.5degrees yr(-1). We interpret this as evidence of an asynchronously rotating white dwarf although synchronization oscillations cannot be ruled out completely. If the observed phase shift continues, a fundamental rearrangement of the accretion geometry must occur on a time-scale of some ten years. Applying model atmosphere spectra to optical/UV eclipse light curves, we determine the temperature and mass of the white dwarf, the temperature and size of the optical/UV emitting spot and the distance to DP Leo to be T-wd = 13 500 K, M-wd similar or equal to 0.6 M ., T-spot = 32 000 K, A(spot) similar or equal to 0.1 A(wd), and D = 400 pc, respectively. The implied inclination and mass ratio are i = 79.5degrees and Q = M-wd/M-2 = 6.7. DP Leo is marginally detected at eclipse phase in X-rays. The upper limit eclipse flux is consistent with an origin on the late-type secondary, L-X similar or equal to 2.5 x 10(29) ergs s 1 (0.20-7.55 keV), at a distance of 400 pc

White dwarfs in Galactic plane

Item does not contain fulltextHere, we use the primary detections of the VPHAS+ data release 2 (DR2) (Drew et al., 2014, Cat. II/341), accessible through the ESO Science Archive. It delivers PSF magnitudes, expressed in the Vega system, for 24 per cent of the survey area. We acquired optical spectroscopy for 17 white dwarf candidates on 2014 April 28-30 with the visual and near-UV FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph (FORS2), mounted on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) UT1 (Antu)

Fbs 0117+396 pulsating sdb star photometry

Item does not contain fulltextThe project Massive Unseen Companions to Hot Faint Underluminous Stars from SDSS (MUCHFUSS) aims to discover subdwarf-B stars with massive compact companions such as overmassive white dwarfs (M>1.0M☉), neutron stars or black holes. From the 127 subdwarfs with substantial radial-velocity variations discovered in the initial survey, a number of interesting objects have been selected for extensive follow-up. After an initial photometry run with BUSCA revealed that FBS0117+396 is photometrically variable both on long and short timescales, we chose it as an auxiliary target during a 6-night multi-color photometry run with Ultracam. Spectroscopy was obtained at a number of observatories in order to determine the binary period and obtain a radial-velocity amplitude. After establishing an orbital period of P=0.252d, and removing the signal associated with the irradiated hemisphere of the M-dwarf companion, we were able to detect ten pulsation periods in the Fourier spectrum of the light curve. Two pulsation modes are found to have short periods of 337 and 379s, and at least eight modes are found with periods between 45-min and 2.5h. This establishes that FBS0117+396 is an sdB+dM reflection binary, in which the primary is a hybrid pulsator, and the first one found with this particular melange of flavoursnul

UVEX sources spectroscopic follow-up

We present the results of the first spectroscopic follow-up of 132 optically blue ultraviolet (UV)-excess sources selected from the UV-Excess Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (UVEX). The UV-excess spectra are classified into different populations and grids of model spectra are fitted to determine spectral types, temperatures, surface gravities and reddening. From this initial spectroscopic follow-up 95 per cent of the UV-excess candidates turn out to be genuine UV-excess sources such as white dwarfs, white dwarf binaries, subdwarf types O and B, emission-line stars and quasi stellar objects. The remaining sources are classified as slightly reddened main-sequence stars with spectral types later than A0V. The fraction of DA white dwarfs is 47 per cent with reddening smaller than E(B-V)≤0.7mag. Relations between the different populations and their UVEX photometry, Galactic latitude and reddening are shown. A larger fraction of UVEX white dwarfs is found at magnitudes fainter than g>17 and Galactic latitude smaller than |b|<4 compared to main-sequence stars, blue horizontal branch stars and subdwarf

UVEX sources spectroscopic follow-up

Item does not contain fulltextWe present the results of the first spectroscopic follow-up of 132 optically blue ultraviolet (UV)-excess sources selected from the UV-Excess Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (UVEX). The UV-excess spectra are classified into different populations and grids of model spectra are fitted to determine spectral types, temperatures, surface gravities and reddening. From this initial spectroscopic follow-up 95 per cent of the UV-excess candidates turn out to be genuine UV-excess sources such as white dwarfs, white dwarf binaries, subdwarf types O and B, emission-line stars and quasi stellar objects. The remaining sources are classified as slightly reddened main-sequence stars with spectral types later than A0V. The fraction of DA white dwarfs is 47 per cent with reddening smaller than E(B-V)≤0.7mag. Relations between the different populations and their UVEX photometry, Galactic latitude and reddening are shown. A larger fraction of UVEX white dwarfs is found at magnitudes fainter than g>17 and Galactic latitude smaller than |b|<4 compared to main-sequence stars, blue horizontal branch stars and subdwarfsnul

KOI-74 radial velocities and fluxes

We present a light-curve analysis and radial velocity study of KOI-74, an eclipsing A star + white dwarf binary with a 5.2-d orbit. Aside from new spectroscopy covering the orbit of the system, we used 212-d of publicly available Kepler observations and present the first complete light-curve fitting to these data, modelling the eclipses and transits, ellipsoidal modulation, reflection and Doppler beaming. Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations are used to determine the system parameters and uncertainty estimates