Deriving an X-ray luminosity function of dwarf novae based on parallax measurements

TL;DR

This study constructs a precise X-ray luminosity function for dwarf novae using parallax measurements, revealing lower luminosities than previously reported and quantifying their contribution to galactic X-ray emission.

Contribution

It provides the most accurate X-ray luminosity function for dwarf novae to date based on parallax data, improving understanding of their luminosity distribution and galactic X-ray contribution.

Findings

Luminosities are concentrated between 10^{30} and 10^{31} erg s^{-1}.

Sample is more incomplete below 3 x 10^{30} erg s^{-1}.

Dwarf novae contribute about 16% to the total X-ray emissivity of CVs.

Abstract

We have derived an X-ray luminosity function using parallax-based distance measurements of a set of 12 dwarf novae, consisting of Suzaku, XMM-Newton and ASCA observations. The shape of the X-ray luminosity function obtained is the most accurate to date, and the luminosities of our sample are concentrated between ~10^{30}-10^{31} erg s^{-1}, lower than previous measurements of X-ray luminosity functions of dwarf novae. Based on the integrated X-ray luminosity function, the sample becomes more incomplete below ~3 x 10^{30} erg s^{-1} than it is above this luminosity limit, and the sample is dominated by X-ray bright dwarf novae. The total integrated luminosity within a radius of 200 pc is 1.48 x 10^{32} erg s^{-1} over the luminosity range of 1 x 10^{28} erg s^{-1} and the maximum luminosity of the sample (1.50 x 10^{32} erg s^{-1}). The total absolute lower limit for the normalised luminosity per solar mass is 1.81 x 10^{26} erg s^{-1} M^{-1}_{solar} which accounts for ~16 per cent of the total X-ray emissivity of CVs as estimated by Sazonov et al. (2006).