Structure of accretion flows in the nova-like cataclysmic variable RW Tri

TL;DR

This study combines photometric and spectroscopic data to analyze the accretion flow structure in RW Tri, revealing distinct emission components and system parameters, and discussing common features in long-period nova-like systems.

Contribution

It provides new time-resolved spectroscopy and system parameter estimates, offering insights into the emission line origins and accretion flow structure in RW Tri, a long-period nova-like system.

Findings

Halpha emission has two components with different widths.

Narrow component from irradiated secondary surface.

Broader component from extended accretion disc outskirts.

Abstract

We obtained photometric observations of the nova-like cataclysmic variable RW Tri and gathered all available AAVSO and other data from the literature. We determined the system parameters and found their uncertainties using the code developed by us to model the light curves of binary systems. New time-resolved optical spectroscopic observations of RW Tri were also obtained to study the properties of emission features produced by the system. The usual interpretation of the single-peaked emission lines in nova-like systems is related to the bi-conical wind from the accretion disc's inner part. However, we found that the Halpha emission profile is comprised of two components with different widths. We argue that the narrow component originates from the irradiated surface of the secondary, while the broader component's source is an extended, low-velocity region in the outskirts of the accretion disc, located opposite to the collision point of the accretion stream and the disc. It appears to be a common feature for long-period nova-like systems -- a point we discuss.