The intermediate polar cataclysmic variable GK Persei 120 years after the nova explosion: a first dynamical mass study

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 507, pp. 5805–5819

Abstract

ABSTRACT We present a dynamical study of the intermediate polar and dwarf nova cataclysmic variable GK Persei (Nova Persei 1901) based on a multisite optical spectroscopy and R-band photometry campaign. The radial velocity curve of the evolved donor star has a semi-amplitude $K_2=126.4 \pm 0.9 \, \mathrm{km}\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}$ and an orbital period $P=1.996872 \pm 0.000009 \, \mathrm{d}$. We refine the projected rotational velocity of the donor star to $v_\mathrm{rot} \sin i = 52 \pm 2 \, \mathrm{km}\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}$ that, together with K2, provides a donor star to white dwarf mass ratio q = M2/M1 = 0.38 ± 0.03. We also determine the orbital inclination of the system by modelling the phase-folded ellipsoidal light curve and obtain i = 67° ± 5°. The resulting dynamical masses are $M_{1}=1.03^{+0.16}_{-0.11} \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ and $M_2 = 0.39^{+0.07}_{-0.06} \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ at 68 per cent confidence level. The white dwarf dynamical mass is compared with estimates obtained by modelling the decline light curve of the 1901 nova event and X-ray spectroscopy. The best matching mass estimates come from the nova light curve models and an X-ray data analysis that uses the ratio between the Alfvén radius in quiescence and during dwarf nova outburst.

Authors 18

1. A. Álvarez-Hernández corresponding

   Universidad de La Laguna · Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

   Affiliation as printed

   Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna , E-38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

   Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias , E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

2. Manuel A. P. Torres corresponding

   Universidad de La Laguna · Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

   Affiliation as printed

   Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna , E-38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

   Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias , E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

3. P. Rodríguez-Gil

   Universidad de La Laguna · Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

   Affiliation as printed

   Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna , E-38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

   Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias , E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

4. T. Shahbaz

   Universidad de La Laguna · Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

   Affiliation as printed

   Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna , E-38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

   Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias , E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

5. Gadiyara Chakrapani Anupama

   Indian Institute of Astrophysics

   Affiliation as printed

   Indian Institute of Astrophysics , Bangalore 560034, India

6. K. Gazeas

   National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

   Affiliation as printed

   Section of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , GR-15784 Zografos, Athens, Greece

7. M. Pavana

   Indian Institute of Astrophysics · Pondicherry University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Physics, Pondicherry University , Puducherry 605014, India

   Indian Institute of Astrophysics , Bangalore 560034, India

8. Ashish Raj

   University of Delhi

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Physics and Astrophysics , University Road, University Enclave, Delhi 110007, India

9. Pasi J. Hakala

   University of Turku

   Affiliation as printed

   Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA), Quantum, University of Turku , FI-20014 Turku, Finland

10. G. Stone
    Affiliation as printed

    First Light Observatory Systems , 9 Wildflower Way, Santa Fe, NM 87506, USA

11. Sebastián Gómez

    Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian , 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

12. Peter Gustaaf Jonker Aachen Netherlands Institute for Space Research

    Radboud University Nijmegen · Space Research Organisation Netherlands

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University , Heyendaalseweg 135, NL-6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands

    SRON, Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Sorbonnelaan 2, NL-3584 CA Utrecht, the Netherlands

13. Juanjuan Ren

    Chinese Academy of Sciences · National Astronomical Observatories

    Affiliation as printed

    CAS Key Laboratory of Space Astronomy and Technology, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, China

14. G. Cannizzaro Aachen Netherlands Institute for Space Research

    Radboud University Nijmegen · Space Research Organisation Netherlands

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University , Heyendaalseweg 135, NL-6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands

    SRON, Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Sorbonnelaan 2, NL-3584 CA Utrecht, the Netherlands

15. Inés Pastor-Marazuela

    University of Amsterdam · Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy , Oude Hoogeveensedijk 4, NL-7991 PD Dwingeloo, the Netherlands

    Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam , Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands

16. William N. Goff

    American Association of Variable Star Observers

    Affiliation as printed

    American Association of Variable Star Observers , 49 Bay State Rd., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

17. J. M. Corral-Santana

    European Southern Observatory

    Affiliation as printed

    European Southern Observatory , Alonso de Córdova 3107, Vitacura, Casilla 19001, Santiago de Chile, Chile

18. Richard Sabo

    American Association of Variable Star Observers

    Affiliation as printed

    American Association of Variable Star Observers , 1344 Post Dr Bozeman, MT 59715, USA