Investigating the Low-flux States in Six Intermediate Polars

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 928; no. 2; pp. 164 - 177
• Main Authors: Covington, Ava E., Shaw, Aarran W., Mukai, Koji, Littlefield, Colin, Heinke, Craig O., Plotkin, Richard M., Barrett, Doug, Boardman, James, Boyd, David, Brincat, Stephen M., Carstens, Rolf, Collins, Donald F., Cook, Lewis M., Cooney, Walter R., Fernández, David Cejudo, Dufoer, Sjoerd, Dvorak, Shawn, Galdies, Charles, Goff, William, Hambsch, Franz-Josef, Johnston, Steve, Jones, Jim, Menzies, Kenneth, Monard, Libert A. G., Morelle, Etienne, Nelson, Peter, Ögmen, Yenal, Rock, John W., Sabo, Richard, Seargeant, Jim, Stone, Geoffrey, Ulowetz, Joseph, Vanmunster, Tonny
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia The American Astronomical Society 01.04.2022; IOP Publishing
• Subjects: Accretion; Astrophysics; Beat frequencies; Cataclysmic variable stars; Deposition; DQ Herculis stars; Fluctuations; Light curve; Periodicities; Polars (astronomy); Stellar accretion disks; Variability; White dwarf stars
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac5682

Abstract We present optical photometry of six intermediate polars that exhibit transitions to a low-flux state. For four of these systems, DW Cnc, V515 And, V1223 Sgr, and RX J2133.7+5107, we are able to perform timing analysis in and out of the low states. We find that, for DW Cnc and V515 And, the dominant periodicities in the light curves change as the flux decreases, indicating a change in the sources’ accretion properties as they transition to the low state. For V1223 Sgr, we find that the variability is almost completely quenched at the lowest flux, but we do not find evidence for a changing accretion geometry. For RX J2133.7+5107, the temporal properties do not change in the low state, but we do see a period of enhanced accretion that is coincident with increased variability on the beat frequency, which we do not associate with a change in the accretion mechanisms in the system.