Multiwavelength Characterization of a New Magnetic Cataclysmic Variable 2CXO J050740.7-091337

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery and detailed multiwavelength characterization of a new magnetic cataclysmic variable, 2CXO J0507, highlighting its properties and significance for future surveys.

Contribution

It presents the first identification and analysis of 2CXO J0507, a faint magnetic CV, using X-ray, optical, and archival data, emphasizing its relevance for upcoming large-scale surveys.

Findings

2CXO J0507 is a strongly magnetized white dwarf with B ≈ 30 MG.

X-ray luminosity is approximately 5.18 × 10^{30} erg s^{-1}.

Orbital period is estimated at 2.34 hours.

Abstract

We report the discovery and characterization of a new cataclysmic variable (CV), 2CXO J050740.7-091337 (hereafter 2CXO J0507), identified using the X-ray main sequence through a cross-match between the Chandra Source Catalogue 2.1 and Gaia DR3. Optical spectroscopic follow-up with Keck I/LRIS reveals prominent cyclotron humps and Balmer emission lines, indicating a strongly magnetized white dwarf with a magnetic field strength of $B \approx 30$ MG. Analysis of Chandra and XMM-Newton archival data shows an X-ray luminosity of $L_X = (5.18 \pm 0.88) \times 10^{30}$ erg s$^{-1}$ (0.3-10 keV). The X-ray spectrum is well approximated by a thermal plasma emission model with a temperature of $kT = 7.95^{+3.84}_{-1.85}$ keV, showing no soft excess or intrinsic absorption. 2CXO J0507 exhibits long-term optical variability by $\approx2$ mag (ranging $\approx18-20$ mag) in Zwicky Transient Facility and Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System photometric data. Both X-ray and optical modulation suggest an orbital period of 2.34 hr. These properties indicate that 2CXO J0507 is a magnetic CV, most closely resembling a polar. As 2CXO J0507 sits close to the faint limit of current optical time-domain surveys, it serves as a representative example of the large population of faint, magnetic CVs expected to be systematically identified by the Rubin Observatory.