Proper Motions of Southern Cataclysmic Variable Stars

Computer Science

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Scientific paper

Cataclysmic variable stars (CVs) are close binary star systems composed of a white dwarf that accretes matter from a less compact companion star in Roche lobe overflow. In general, it is very difficult to estimate CV distances due to intrinsic brightness complexities caused by overwhelming accretion light. We are studying the kinematics of the local CV population, with the goal of finding population distances through statistical parallax methods. To this end, we propose to measure the proper motions of 49 Southern CVs using images taken with the 0.9-m SMARTS telescope and archival sky survey plates. Using modern CCD images leads to considerable improvements in the accuracy and reliability, especially in the Southern sky where the time baseline is only ~30 years (as opposed to 50 years in the Northern sky). We will combine the 49 Southern proper motions with ~180 proper motions already measured using images taken at MDM Observatory. This gives an homogeneous sample of ~230 proper motions spread across the entire sky upon which to base statistical parallax, and makes our study the most comprehensive of its kind with respect to CVs. Our analysis should provide useful insight leading to the resolution of the CV distance problem.

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