Investigating Spiral Structures in Accretion Disks of Cataclysmic Variables through Multicolor Eclipse Observations
G. Yucheng*, M. Uemura and R. Sazaki
*: corresponding author
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Pre-published on: March 19, 2026
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Abstract
The mechanisms of mass accretion and angular momentum transport in accretion disks remain uncertain. Although magneto-rotational instability has been successful in theoretical explanations, obtaining observational evidence remains challenging. Numerical simulations have predicted asymmetric spiral shock waves in disks, suggesting that material in the disk loses angular momentum after impacting the shock waves. Spiral structures were later observed during outbursts in multiple objects, though the origin remains debated. It may not be shock waves, but rather tidal distortions in the disk. If the structures are caused by shock waves, they would exhibit significantly higher temperatures than the surrounding disk. We conducted multi-wavelength eclipse observations of cataclysmic variables to estimate the temperature of the spiral structures. We constructed a 3D accretion disk and Roche lobe model, incorporating spiral structures with adjusted temperature distributions. By fitting the model to the observed light curves, the possible location and temperature of spiral patterns can be inferred. Eclipse light curves of UU Aqr were obtained through simultaneous V- and J-band observations using the Kanata telescope at Hiroshima University. In the V-band, the eclipse ingress was slower than predicted, while in the J-band it began earlier, suggesting a deviation from the temperature distribution of the standard disk model. On the other hand, no sign of high-temperature spiral structures was identified in the eclipse profile.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22323/1.493.0041
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