IP Pegasi: Investigation of the accretion disk structure. Searching evidences for spiral shocks in the quiescent accretion disk

TL;DR

This study uses spectral analysis and Doppler tomography to reveal a complex accretion disk structure in IP Peg, providing evidence for spiral shocks and dynamic emission features in its quiescent state.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed spectral and Doppler tomography analysis indicating spiral shocks and asymmetrical emission in the quiescent accretion disk of IP Peg.

Findings

Detection of spiral shocks in the accretion disk

Asymmetry and quasi-periodic modulation of emission line wings

Brightness variation of the bright spot with orbital phase

Abstract

We present the results of spectral investigations of the cataclysmic variable IP Peg in quiescence. Optical spectra obtained on the 6-m telescope at the Special Astrophysical Observatory (Russia), and on the 3.5-m telescope at the German-Spanish Astronomical Center (Calar Alto, Spain), have been analysed by means of Doppler tomography and Phase Modelling Technique. From this analysis we conclude that the quiescent accretion disk of IP Peg has a complex structure. There are also explicit indications of spiral shocks. The Doppler maps and the variations of the peak separation of the emission lines confirm this interpretation. We have detected that all the emission lines show a rather considerable asymmetry of their wings varying with time. The wing asymmetry shows quasi-periodic modulations with a period much shorter than the orbital one. This indicates the presence of an emission source in the binary rotating asynchronously with the binary system. We also have found that the brightness of the bright spot changes considerably during one orbital period. The spot becomes brightest at an inferior conjunction, whereas it is almost invisible when it is located on the distant half of the accretion disk. Probably, this phenomenon is due to an anisotropic radiation of the bright spot and an eclipse of the bright spot by the outer edge of the accretion disk.