The intermediate polar cataclysmic variable GK Persei 120 years after the nova explosion: a first dynamical mass study. Issue 4 (10th September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Álvarez-Hernández, A; Torres, M A P; Rodríguez-Gil, P; Shahbaz, T; Anupama, G C; Gazeas, K D; Pavana, M; Raj, A; Hakala, P; Stone, G; Gomez, S; Jonker, P G; Ren, J-J; Cannizzaro, G; Pastor-Marazuela, I; Goff, W; Corral-Santana, J M; Sabo, R
• Is Part Of: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Volume 507:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 5805
• Page End: 5819
• Publication Date: 2021-09-10
• Subjects: accretion, accretion discs -- binaries: close -- stars: individual: GK Persei (Nova Persei 1901) -- novae, cataclysmic variables; Astronomy -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stab2547
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0035-8711

Abstract

ABSTRACT: We present a dynamical study of the intermediate polar and dwarf nova cataclysmic variable GK Persei (Nova Persei 1901) based on a multisite optical spectroscopy and R -band photometry campaign. The radial velocity curve of the evolved donor star has a semi-amplitude $K_2=126.4 \pm 0.9 \, \mathrm{km}\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}$ and an orbital period $P=1.996872 \pm 0.000009 \, \mathrm{d}$ . We refine the projected rotational velocity of the donor star to $v_\mathrm{rot} \sin i = 52 \pm 2 \, \mathrm{km}\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}$ that, together with K 2, provides a donor star to white dwarf mass ratio q = M 2 / M 1 = 0.38 ± 0.03. We also determine the orbital inclination of the system by modelling the phase-folded ellipsoidal light curve and obtain i = 67° ± 5°. The resulting dynamical masses are $M_{1}=1.03^{+0.16}_{-0.11} \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ and $M_2 = 0.39^{+0.07}_{-0.06} \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ at 68 per cent confidence level. The white dwarf dynamical mass is compared with estimates obtained by modelling the decline light curve of the 1901 nova event and X-ray spectroscopy. The best matching mass estimates come from the nova light curve models and an X-ray data analysis that uses the ratio between the Alfvén radius in quiescence and during dwarf nova outburst.