Physics Commons^™

The Mystery Of The Missing Boundary Layer, Gary J. Ferland, S. S. Langer, J. Macdonald, G. H. Pepper, G. Shaviv, J. W. Truran

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The question of the nature of the ultraviolet and X-ray radiation field of cataclysmic binaries is addressed. The spectrum and luminosity of this radiation are important in determining the mass transfer rate and energy budget of the system and in studies of the ejecta surrounding novae. In many systems, the soft X-ray luminosity is ~ 10²-10⁴ times weaker than predicted by simple accretion models. We discuss several possible solutions to this discrepancy. The most likely are either that the optical luminosity of a typical old nova is produced partly by reprocessed ultraviolet light from the white dwarf, …