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Observing the Accretion Stream in Polars

Jens Kube·Boris T. Gaensicke·Klaus Beuermann
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Abstract

We have developed a 3D computer model of polars which includes the accretion stream, the accretion column, the secondary star, and the white dwarf. Each component is represented by a fine grid of surface elements. With brightness values attributed to each surface element, this model generates synthetic light curves of the various components. As a first application, we present our simulated light curves of the accretion stream, fitted to high-speed HST spectroscopy of the eclipsing polar UZ Fornacis by the means of an evolution strategy.

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Jens Kube, Boris T. Gaensicke, Klaus Beuermann. 1998-10-06. Observing the Accretion Stream in Polars. https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9810081

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