Talk detail

MG14 - Talk detail

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 Participant

Beskrovnaya, Nina

Institution

Pulkovo observatory  - Pulkovskoe Shosse, 65-1 - Saint Petersburg - - Russia

Session

WD1-3

Accepted

Order

Time

Talk

Oral abstract

Title

Super-propeller action by a fast rotating strongly magnetized white dwarf in AE Aquarii
Coauthors

Abstract

AE Aquarii is a low-mass binary which contains a strongly magnetized white dwarf rotating with the period of 33 seconds. Observations give no evidence for an accretion of mass onto the surface of the white dwarf and its spin-down power exceeds the bolometric luminosity of the system. We show that the peculiar appearance of the system can be explained provided the white dwarf operates as a spin-powered pulsar. The surface magnetic field of the white dwarf within this scenario is about 50 MG. Numerical simulations of the mass-transfer process suggest that the magnetosphere of the white dwarf under these conditions can be surrounded by a transient dead disk (or ring). We find the disk to be very unstable. As it is disrupted the material is flowing out from the system spreading around it. We show that the typical time of formation and disintegration of the transient disk is close to the time of the peculiar flaring activity observed in the system.

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