Dwarf novae are associated with a special type of interacting binary stars known as cataclysmic binaries. Here the secondary star, which is in close orbit with a white dwarf primary, looses its mass to the primary.
The lost gas from the secondary star is accumulated in an accretion disk around the white dwarf. At the point where the stream of gas from the secondary impacts the disk, a shock front is formed which results in a hot and very bright spot.
The luminosity of the disk and the hot spot accounts for most of the luminosity of the entire system binary star system. The orbital periods of cataclysmic binaries are very short, a little over 1 hour to about 15 hours.
These cataclysmic binaries are very small systems, and often the dimensions are comparable with the diameter of our sun.
The outburst that can be seen from our telescopes are generated by thermonuclear runaway reactions at the surface of the white dwarf, following long periods of accretion from the secondary star.
Below is the light curve of this cataclysmic variable named TCP J21040470+4631129 based on the contribution of many astronomers, including myself, for the last two years. It shows rapid and short period outbursts occurring when significant material is lost by the secondary star.
Below are the details of this system.
https://www.aavso.org/vsx/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=838181
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| Source: wikipedia.org |
The luminosity of the disk and the hot spot accounts for most of the luminosity of the entire system binary star system. The orbital periods of cataclysmic binaries are very short, a little over 1 hour to about 15 hours.
These cataclysmic binaries are very small systems, and often the dimensions are comparable with the diameter of our sun.
The outburst that can be seen from our telescopes are generated by thermonuclear runaway reactions at the surface of the white dwarf, following long periods of accretion from the secondary star.
Below is the light curve of this cataclysmic variable named TCP J21040470+4631129 based on the contribution of many astronomers, including myself, for the last two years. It shows rapid and short period outbursts occurring when significant material is lost by the secondary star.
Below are the details of this system.
https://www.aavso.org/vsx/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=838181