| Detection of the optical counterpart of the proposed double degenerate polar RX J1914+24 (2007) | |||||||||||||
Abstract | |||||||||||||
| We have detected the optical counterpart of the proposed double degenerate polar RX J1914+24. The I band light curve is modulated on the 9.5 min period seen in Xrays. There is no evidence for any other periods. No significant modulation is seen in J . The infrared colours of RX J1914+24 are not consistent with a main sequence dwarf secondary star. Our ASCA spectrum of RX J1914+24 is typical of a heavily absorbed polar and our ASCA light curve also shows only the 9.5 min period. We find that the folded I band and X-ray light curves are out of phase. We attribute the I band flux to the irradiated face of the donor star. The long term X-ray light curve shows a variation in the observed flux of up to an order of magnitude. These observations strengthen the view that RX J1914+24 is indeed the first double degenerate polar to be detected. In this light, we discuss the synchronising mechanisms in such a close binary and other system parameters. Key words: Accretion, Cataclysmic variables, X-... | |||||||||||||
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