Analysis of spiral structure in the accretion disc of the nova-like cataclysmic variable EC21178

Analysis of spiral structure in the accretion disc of the nova-like cataclysmic variable EC21178–5417

Published:2019-10-12 Issue:1 Volume:491 Page:344-355
ISSN:0035-8711
Container-title:Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
language:en
Short-container-title:

Author:

Ruiz-Carmona R¹,Khangale Z N²³^ORCID,Woudt P A²,Groot P J¹²³⁴

Affiliation:

1. Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, NL-6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands

2. Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, 7701 Rondebosch, South Africa

3. South African Astronomical Observatory, P.O. Box 9, Observatory 7935, Cape Town, South Africa

4. The Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, 7701 Rondebosch, South Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACT We present an extensive Doppler tomography study of the eclipsing nova-like EC21178–5417, which exhibits the classic accretion disc signature in the form of double-peak emission lines in its spectrum. Doppler tomograms confirm the presence of a strong, two-armed spiral pattern visible in the majority of the spectral lines studied. This makes EC21178–5417 one of the very few nova-likes that show spiral structure in their discs. We also report night-to-night changes in the position and relative strength of the spiral arms, revealing fluctuations on the conditions in the accretion disc.

Funder

Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research

National Science Foundation

University of Cape Town

Space Telescope Science Institute

Science and Engineering Research Council

UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council

Anglo-Australian Observatory

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Space and Planetary Science,Astronomy and Astrophysics