Four new eclipsing accreting ultracompact white dwarf binaries found with the Zwicky Transient Facility

Open Access
Authors
  • R. Dekany
  • A.J. Drake
  • M.J. Graham
  • S.L. Groom
  • S.R. Kulkarni
  • R.R. Laher
  • A.A. Mahabal
  • T. Prince
  • R. Riddle
Publication date 03-2024
Journal Astronomy and Astrophysics
Article number L10
Volume | Issue number 683
Number of pages 6
Organisations
  • Faculty of Science (FNWI) - Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy (API)
Abstract
Context. Accreting ultracompact white dwarf binaries contain a white dwarf that is accreting from a degenerate object. They have orbital periods shorter than 65 min.
Aims. We report the discovery and the orbital period of four new eclipsing accreting ultracompact white dwarf binaries found using the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and discuss their photometric properties.
Methods. We searched through a list of 4171 dwarf novae compiled using the ZTF and used the box least square method to search for periodic signals in the data.
Results. We found four eclipsing accreting ultracompact binaries with orbital periods between 25.9 and 56 min. One had previously been published as an AM Canum Venaticorum (AM CVn), and the other three systems are new discoveries. The two shorter-period systems are likely also AM CVn systems, while the longest-period system, with a period of 56 min, showed multiple super-outbursts over two years, which is more consistent with it being a helium CV.
Document type Article
Language English
Published at https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202349010
Other links https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85187783409
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