Ionization structure of hot components in symbiotic binaries during active phases

TL;DR

This paper models the ionization structure of hot components in symbiotic binaries, showing that during active phases, a neutral disk forms around the white dwarf due to wind compression, explaining observed spectral features.

Contribution

It introduces a wind compression model to explain the formation of neutral disk-like zones during active phases of symbiotic binaries, linking wind dynamics to observed spectral phenomena.

Findings

Neutral disk forms during active phases due to wind compression.

Hydrogen column density matches observational data.

Neutral disk does not form during quiescent phases.

Abstract

During active phases of symbiotic binaries, an optically thick medium in the form of a flared disk develops around their hot stars. During quiescent phases, this structure is not evident. We propose the formation of a flared neutral disk-like structure around the rotating white dwarf (WD) in symbiotic binaries. We applied the wind compression model and calculated the ionization boundaries in the compressed wind from the WD using the equation of photoionization equilibrium. During active phases, the compression of the enhanced wind from the rotating WD can form a neutral disk-like zone at the equatorial plane, while the remainder of the sphere above/below the disk is ionized. Calculated hydrogen column density throughout the neutral zone and the emission measure of the ionized fraction of the wind are consistent with those derived from observations. During quiescent phases, the neutral disk-like structure cannot be created because of insufficient mass loss rate. Formation of the neutral disk-like zone at the equatorial plane is connected with the enhanced wind from the rotating WD, observed during active phases of symbiotic binaries. This probably represents a common origin of warm pseudophotospheres, indicated in the spectrum of active symbiotic binaries with a high orbital inclination.