2013/08/01 by Douglas R. Gies, Zhao Guo, Steve B. Howell +8 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Accretion (finance) #Astronomy #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Bright spot #Cataclysmic variable star #Dwarf nova #Flux (metallurgy) #Intermediate polar #Light curve #Optics #Orbital period #Orbital speed #Photosphere #Physics #Radial velocity #Spectral line #Stars #Starspot #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #White dwarf #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0004-637x/775/1/64
31 pages, 13 figures, accepted for ApJ
arxiv created 2013/08/01 · openalex publication_date 2013/09/05 · arxiv updated 2015/06/16 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
KIC 9406652 is a remarkable variable star in the Kepler field of view that shows both very rapid oscillations and long term outbursts in its light curve. We present an analysis of the light curve over quarters 1–15 and new spectroscopy that indicates that the object is a cataclysmic variable with an orbital period of 6.108 hr. However, an even stronger signal appears in the light curve periodogram for a shorter period of 5.753 hr, and we argue that this corresponds to the modulation of flux from the hot spot region in a tilted, precessing disk surrounding the white dwarf star. We present a preliminary orbital solution from radial velocity measurements of features from the accretion disk and the photosphere of the companion. We use a Doppler tomography algorithm to reconstruct the disk and companion spectra, and we also consider how these components contribute to the object's spectral energy distribution from ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths. This target offers us a remarkable opportunity to investigate disk processes during the high mass transfer stage of evolution in cataclysmic variables.