Full 3-D MHD Simulations of Accretion Flow in Cataclysmic Variables With Strong and Complex Magnetic Fields

Details Full 3-D MHD Simulations of Accretion Flow in Cataclysmic Variables With Strong and Complex Magnetic Fields Full 3-D MHD Simulations of Accretion Flow in Cataclysmic Variables With Strong and Complex Magnetic Fields

Jan 2012

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012aas...21943614m&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #436.14

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We performed 3-D MHD calculations of stream accretion in magnetic cataclysmic variable stars (mCVs). Specifically, we simulate accretion flow onto a white dwarf possessing a strong and complex magnetic field which dominates the accretion flow and prevents the formation of an accretion disk. These calculations are motivated by observations that some polars possess non-dipolar magnetic fields. We assume a dipole plus quadrupole field configuration to perform simulations of ten polars, where the only variable is the azimuthal angle of the secondary with respect to the white dwarf. These calculations are also applicable to asynchronous polars, where the spin period of the white dwarf is a few percent different from the orbital period and the structure of one asynchronous polar at ten different spin-orbit beat phases is calculated. We find that for a sufficiently strong quadrupole component an accretion spot occurs near the magnetic equator for slightly less than half of our simulations while a polar accretion zone is active for most of the rest of the simulations. For two configurations; accretion at the dominant polar region and at an equatorial zone occurs simultaneously. We review observational evidence for multi-polar accretion in mCVs and suggest that complex magnetic field structures, including (near) equatorial accretion spots may be evident in some binaries.

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