Exotic binary stars

On: April 9, 2018

Cataclysmic variable stars (CVs) are white dwarf stars that are accreting from an orbiting, low mass binary companion star. The accretion is facilitated by the proximity of the stars; typical orbital periods range from about one to ten hours. Although the family of these exotic CV binaries is heterogeneous, there are, roughly speaking, four classes characterized by the accretion physics, eruptions caused by occasional accretion events, flaring from activity on the white dwarf’s surface, and the appearance of hydrogen lines in the companion star.

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