The Long-Period Orbit of the Dwarf Nova V630 Cassiopaeia

Abstract

We present extensive spectroscopy and photometry of the dwarf nova V630 Cassiopeiae. A late-type (K4-5) absorption spectrum is easily detectable, from which we derive the orbital parameters. We find a spectroscopic period of P=2.56387 +/- (4 times 10^{-5}) days and a semiamplitude of K_2=132.9 +/- 4.0 km/s. The resulting mass function, which is a firm lower limit on the mass of the white dwarf, is then f(M)=0.624 +/- 0.056 solar masses. The secondary star is a ``stripped giant'', and using relations between the core mass and the luminosity and the core mass and the radius we derive a lower limit of M_2 > 0.165 solar masses for the secondary star. The rotational velocity of the secondary star is not resolved in our spectra and we place a limit of V_rot*sin(i) < 40 km/s. The long-term light curve shows variations of up to 0.4 mag on short (1-5 days) time scales, and variations of 0.2-0.4 mag on longer (3-9 months) time scales. In spite of these variations, the ellipsoidal light curve of the secondary star is easily seen when the data are folded on the spectroscopic ephemeris. Ellipsoidal models fit to the mean light curve give an inclination in the range 66.96 < i < 78.08 degrees (90 per cent confidence). This inclination range, and the requirement that M_2 > 0.165 solar masses and V_rot*sin(i) < 40 km/s yields a white dwarf mass of M_1=0.977^{+0.168}_{-0.098} solar masses and a secondary star mass of M_2=0.172^{+0.029}_{-0.012} solar masses (90 per cent confidence limits). Our findings confirm the suggestion of Warner (1994), namely that V630 Cas is rare example of a dwarf nova with a long orbital period.