PTF1 J085713+331843, a new post-common-envelope binary in the orbital period gap of cataclysmic variables

Laher, R.; Marsh, T. R.; Dhillon, V. S.; Shupe, D.; Bloemen, S.; Groot, P. J.; Levitan, D.; Prince, T. A.; van Roestel, J.
Bibliographical reference

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 468, Issue 3, p.3109-3122

Advertised on:
7
2017
Number of authors
9
IAC number of authors
1
Citations
3
Refereed citations
3
Description
We report the discovery and analysis of PTF1 J085713+331843, a new eclipsing post-common-envelope detached white-dwarf-red-dwarf binary with a 2.5 h orbital period discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory. ULTRACAM multicolour photometry over multiple orbital periods reveals a light curve with a deep flat-bottomed primary eclipse and a strong reflection effect. Phase-resolved spectroscopy shows broad Balmer absorption lines from the DA white dwarf and phase-dependent Balmer emission lines originating on the irradiated side of the red dwarf. The temperature of the DA white dwarf is TWD = 25 700 ± 400 K and the spectral type of the red dwarf is M3-M5. A combined modelling of the light curve and the radial velocity variations results in a white dwarf mass of M_WD = 0.61^{+0.18}_{-0.17} M_{⊙} and radius of R_WD = 0.0175^{+0.0012}_{-0.0011} R_{⊙}, and a red dwarf mass and radius of M_RD = 0.19^{+0.10}_{-0.08} M_{⊙} and R_RD = 0.24^{+0.04}_{-0.04} R_{⊙}. The system is either a detached cataclysmic variable or has emerged like from the common-envelope phase at nearly its current orbital period. In {˜ }70 Myr, this system will become a cataclysmic variable in the period gap.
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