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Dwarf Novae with Newly Determined Parallaxes: Model Analyses of VY Aquari, RU Pegasi, and T Leonis

R. T. Hamilton, E. M. Sion

astro-pharXiv:astro-ph/0408335

Abstract

Using newly determined parallaxes for dwarf novae, we have derived outburst accretion rates for VY Aqr, RU Peg and T Leo and for T Leo during quiescence. The two short-period dwarf novae, VY Aqr and T Leo, show good agreement with optically thick steady-state accretion disks in outburst, whereas RU Peg shows a significant departure from a steady-state disk. We have determined that the white dwarf in T Leo has Teff = 16,000 1000 K, a value consistent with long term compressional heating when gravitational wave emission drives mass transfer. The white dwarf in T Leo has a temperature in the same narrow range as other WZ Sge-like dwarf novae.

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