Unraveling the Mysteries of an Unusual Cataclysmic Variable: A Fascinating Study by Astronomers

Astronomers hailing from Turkey and Russia have conducted optical ⁣observations of a magnetic cataclysmic variable called ‍SRGA ‌J213151.5+491400. ⁤The findings of this observational study, which was unveiled on Jan. 11‍ on the pre-print server arXiv, ‌provide valuable insights into the unique characteristics of this‌ system.

Polars, ⁢a distinct ⁤subclass of cataclysmic variables, are set apart from other ⁤CVs ⁤due to the presence of an exceptionally strong⁤ magnetic field in their white dwarfs. ‌SRGA J213151.5+491400 is one such ⁢polar, initially identified as an X-ray source in 2020 during a significant flare.

Under the leadership of⁣ Solen Balman from⁢ Istanbul University, Turkey, a team ⁢of astronomers commenced optical wavelength observations of SRGA J213151.5+491400 soon after its flaring activity began.‌ The TÜBITAK National Observatory in Turkey and the Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) in Russia were⁤ utilized ‌for this purpose.

“To identify and⁣ analyze the source, we conducted observations using optical telescopes at TUG (TÜBITAK‌ National Observatory, Turkey)—primarily the RTT150 1.5m ‌telescope, and at the ‌SAO RAS (Special Astrophysical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences)—mainly the 6m telescope (BTA),” the researchers explained.

The observations⁤ carried out by Balman’s team ‍revealed that SRGA J213151.5+491400 transitioned from a high state in 2020 to a low state at the⁢ start of 2021, with a 3.0 mag decrease in brightness. The spin pulse profile of the source was found to be ⁣single-peaked (mostly sinusoidal) in the high state, while a double-peaked profile was ‍observed during the low state, indicating a two-pole accretor.

2024-01-22 14:00:04
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