Hard X-ray Cataclysmic Variables

TL;DR

This paper reviews the X-ray emission properties of newly discovered hard X-ray cataclysmic variables, especially magnetic intermediate polars, highlighting their growing significance in the Galactic X-ray source population.

Contribution

It presents new findings from an XMM-Newton identification program that doubled the known sample of these sources and discusses their emission characteristics.

Findings

Increased sample of magnetic CVs by a factor of two

Magnetic Intermediate Polars are a major component of Galactic X-ray sources

X-ray properties support their classification as accreting white dwarf binaries

Abstract

Among hard X-ray Galactic sources detected in the Swift and INTEGRAL surveys, those discovered as accreting white dwarf binaries have suprisingly boosted in number in the recent years. The majority are identified as magnetic Cataclysmic Variables of the Intermediate Polar type, suggesting this subclass as an important constituent of the Galactic population of X-ray sources. We here review and discuss the X-ray emission properties of newly discovered sources in the framework of an identification programme with the XMM-Newton satellite that increased the sample of this subclass by a factor of two.