Related papers: Getting to know the cataclysmic variable beneath t…
Recurrent novae are binary stars in which a white dwarf accretes matter from a less evolved companion, either a red giant or a main-sequence star. They have dramatic optical brightenings of around 5-6 mag in V in less than a day, several…
Secondary stars in cataclysmic variables (CVs) follow a well defined period-density relation. Thus, canonical donor stars in CVs are generally low-mass stars of spectral type M. However, several CVs have been observed containing secondary…
Large differences between the properties of the known sample of cataclysmic variable stars (CVs) and the predictions of the theory of binary star evolution have long been recognised. However, because all existing CV samples suffer from…
We present 855 cataclysmic variable candidates detected by the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey (CRTS) of which at least 137 have been spectroscopically confirmed and 705 are new discoveries. The sources were identified from the analysis…
Although the theory of cataclysmic variable (CV) evolution is able to explain several observational aspects, strong discrepancies have existed for decades between observations and theoretical predictions of the orbital period distribution,…
Novae are thermonuclear eruptions on accreting white dwarfs in interacting binaries. Although most of the accreted envelope is expelled, the mechanism -- impulsive ejection, multiple outflows or prolonged winds, or a common-envelope…
Detection of X-ray emission from classical novae in their post-outburst stages provides crucial information about the nova phenomenon. The soft X-ray emission gives a direct insight into the remaining hot nuclear burning shell. A numerical…
Flickering is a universal phenomenon in accreting astronomical systems which still defies detailed physical understanding. It is particularly evident in cataclysmic variables (CVs). Attempting to define boundary conditions for models, the…
Using the latest compilation of cataclysmic variable orbital periods by Ritter & Kolb we argue against Verbunt's conclusion that the period gap is not significant for nova-like variables. We also discuss the relation of the VY Scl stars to…
Cataclysmic variables were long considered to be close binaries consisting of a white dwarf and a Roche-lobe-filling, near-zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) red or brown dwarf. Recent massive surveys have uncovered an increasing number of…
Although a large number of orbital periods of cataclysmic variable stars (CVs) have been measured, comparison of period and luminosity distributions with evolutionary theory is affected by strong selection effects. A test has been…
This article summarizes the basic facts and ideas concerning the formation and evolution of cataclysmic variables (CVs). It is shown why the formation of CVs must involve huge losses of mass and orbital angular momentum, very likely via a…
Cataclysmic variables undergo periodic nova explosions during which a finite mass of material is expelled on a short timescale. The system widens and, as a result, the mass-transfer rate drops. This state of hibernation may account for the…
According to standard evolutionary theory for cataclysmic variables (CVs), angular momentum loss drives CVs to initially evolve from longer to shorter orbital periods until a minimum period is reached (\approx 80 min). At roughly this…
The March 2011 outburst of the poorly-studied cataclysmic variable NSV 1436 offered an opportunity to decide between dwarf nova and recurrent nova classifications. We use seven daily observations in the X-ray and UV by the Swift satellite,…
Cataclysmic Variables (CVs) are interacting binaries consisting of at least three components that control their colour and magnitude. Using Gaia we here investigate the influence of the physical properties of these binaries on their…
Binary evolution theory predicts that accreting white dwarfs with sub-stellar companions dominate the Galactic population of cataclysmic variables (CVs). In order to test these predictions, it is necessary to identify these systems, which…
Z Cam variables are a subclass of dwarf nova that lie near a global bifurcation between outbursting ("limit cycle") and non-outbursting ("standstill") states. It is believed that variations in the secondary star's mass-injection rate…
We investigate why the spectral type of most cataclysmic variable (CV) secondaries is significantly later than that of a ZAMS star with the same mean density. Using improved stellar input physics, tested against observations of low-mass…
(Invited Review) According to modern definition, a symbiotic nova is an otherwise normal nova (i.e. powered by explosive thermonuclear burning) that erupts within a symbiotic star, which is a binary where a WD accretes from a cool giant…