Parallax and Distance Estimates for Twelve Cataclysmic Variable Stars

TL;DR

This study provides parallax and distance measurements for twelve cataclysmic variable stars, refining their distances and orbital parameters, and compares these with previous estimates to improve understanding of their properties.

Contribution

The paper presents new parallax measurements for twelve cataclysmic binaries, improving distance estimates and confirming or adjusting previous models of these systems.

Findings

Distances generally corroborate previous estimates but suggest larger white dwarf masses.

KT Persei is physically paired with a K main-sequence star.

Refined orbital period of V396 Hya to 65.07 minutes.

Abstract

We report parallax and distance estimates for twelve more cataclysmic binaries and related objects observed with the 2.4m Hiltner telescope at MDM Observatory. The final parallax accuracy is typically about 1 mas. For only one of the twelve objects, IR Gem, do we fail to detect a significant parallax. Notable results include distances for V396 Hya (CE 315), a helium double degenerate with a relatively long orbital period, and for MQ Dra (SDSSJ155331+551615), a magnetic system with a very low accretion rate. We find that the Z Cam star KT Persei is physically paired with a K main-sequence star lying 15 arcsec away. Several of the targets have distance estimates in the literature that are based on the white dwarf's effective temperature and flux; our measurements broadly corroborate these estimates, but tend to put the stars a bit closer, indicating that the white dwarfs may have rather larger masses than assumed. As a side note, we briefly describe radial velocity spectroscopy that refines the orbital period of V396 Hya to 65.07 +- 0.08 min.