Galactic model parameters of cataclysmic variables: Results from a new absolute magnitude calibration with 2MASS and WISE

TL;DR

This study uses a new period-luminosity-colours relation with 2MASS and WISE data to analyze the spatial distribution and luminosity function of 263 cataclysmic variables, providing updated Galactic model parameters.

Contribution

Introduces a new PLCs relation for CVs based on infrared photometry and parallaxes, enabling more accurate Galactic distribution analysis.

Findings

CV scaleheight increases as orbital period decreases.

The CV space density near the Sun is approximately 5.58×10^{-6} pc^{-3}.

The CV luminosity function best fits white dwarf luminosity functions divided by 350-450.

Abstract

In order to determine the spatial distribution, Galactic model parameters and luminosity function of cataclysmic variables (CVs), a $J$-band magnitude limited sample of 263 CVs has been established using a newly constructed period-luminosity-colours (PLCs) relation which includes $J$, $K_{s}$ and $W1$-band magnitudes in 2MASS and WISE photometries, and the orbital periods of the systems. This CV sample is assumed to be homogeneous regarding to distances as the new PLCs relation is calibrated with new or re-measured trigonometric parallaxes. Our analysis shows that the scaleheight of CVs is increasing towards shorter periods, although selection effects for the periods shorter than 2.25 h dramatically decrease the scaleheight: the scaleheight of the systems increases from 192 pc to 326 pc as the orbital period decreases from 12 to 2.25h. The $z$-distribution of all CVs in the sample is well fitted by an exponential function with a scaleheight of 213$^{+11}_{-10}$ pc. However, we suggest that the scaleheight of CVs in the Solar vicinity should be $\sim$300 pc and that the scaleheights derived using the sech$^2$ function should be also considered in the population synthesis models. The space density of CVs in the Solar vicinity is found 5.58(1.35)$\times 10^{-6}$ pc$^{-3}$ which is in the range of previously derived space densities and not in agreement with the predictions of the population models. The analysis based on the comparisons of the luminosity function of white dwarfs with the luminosity function of CVs in this study show that the best fits are obtained by dividing the luminosity functions of white dwarfs by a factor of 350-450.