Cataclysmic and Close Binaries in Star Clusters. V. Erupting Dwarf Novae, Faint Blue Stars, X-ray sources, and the Classical Nova in the Core of M80

Abstract

Large populations of cataclysmic variables (CVs) in globular clusters have long been predicted, but the number of absolutely certain cluster CVs known in globulars is still less than 10. HST and Chandra observers have recently found dozens of cataclysmic variable candidates in several populous globular clusters. Confirmation and characterization of these candidates are extremely difficult, thus identification of unambiguous CVs remains important. We have searched all archival HST images of the dense globular cluster M80 for erupting dwarf novae (DN), and to check the outburst behaviors of two very blue objects first identified a decade ago. Two new erupting dwarf novae were found in 8 searched epochs, making M80 a record holder for erupting DN. The quiescent classical nova in M80 varies by no more than a few tenths of a magnitude on timescales of minutes to years, and a similar faint, blue object varies by a similar amount. Simulations and completeness tests indicate that there are at most 3 erupting DN like SS Cyg and at most 9 U Gem-like DN in M80. Either this very dense cluster contains about an order of magnitude fewer CVs than theory predicts, or most M80 CVs are extremely faint and/or erupt very infrequently like WZ Sge. We have detected a sequence of 54 objects running parallel to the main sequence and several tenths of a magnitude bluewards of it. These blue objects are significantly more centrally concentrated than the main sequence stars, but not as centrally concentrated as the blue stragglers. We suggest that these objects are white dwarf--red dwarf binaries, and that some are the faint CV population of M80.