A study of transients from ground-based surveys reveals new ultra-compact accreting white dwarf binaries

Abstract

AM CVn stars are ultra-compact semi-detached binaries consisting of a white dwarf primary and a hydrogen-depleted secondary. In this paper we present spectroscopic and photometric results of 15 transient sources pre-classified as AM CVn candidates. Our analysis confirms 9 systems of the type AM CVn, 3 hydrogen-rich cataclysmic variables (accreting white dwarfs with near-main-sequence stars for donors) and 3 systems that could be evolved cataclysmic variables. Eight of the AM CVn stars are analysed spectroscopically for the first time, which increases the number of spectroscopically confirmed AM CVns by about $10\%$. TESS data revealed the orbital period of the AM CVn star ASASSN-20pv to be $P_\mathrm{orb}=27.282\,\mathrm{min}$, which helps to constrain the possible values of its mass ratio. TESS also helped to determine the superhump periods of one AM CVn star (ASASSN-19ct, $P_\mathrm{sh}=30.94\,\mathrm{min}$) and two cataclysmic variables we classify as WZ Sge stars ($P_\mathrm{sh}=90.77\,\mathrm{min}$ for ZTF18aaaasnn and $P_\mathrm{sh}=91.6\,\mathrm{min}$ for ASASSN-15na). We identified very different abundances in the spectra of the AM CVns binaries ASASSN-15kf and ASASSN-20pv (both $P_\mathrm{orb}\sim 27.5$ min), suggesting different type of donors. Six of the studied AM CVns are X-ray sources, which helped to determine their mass accretion rates. Photometry shows that the duration of all the superoutbursts detected in the AM CVns is consistent with expectations from the disc instability model. Finally, we provide refined criteria for the identification of new systems using all-sky surveys such as LSST.