Temporal Analysis of Variability in the Wind Structure of the Cataclysmic Variable system TT Ari in the UV

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Session 55 -- Interacting Binaries: CVs and XRBs
Display presentation, Thursday, January 13, 9:30-6:45, Salons I/II Room (Crystal Gateway)

[55.06] Temporal Analysis of Variability in the Wind Structure of the Cataclysmic Variable system TT Ari in the UV

G.S. Stringfellow, C.R. Robinson, F.A. C\'ordova (Penn State University), M. Musgrove (Bryn Mawr)

TT Arietis is an unusual, complex cataclysmic variable system. Optical photometry and spectroscopy reveal several distinct periodicities. Variations in many wavebands are observed, ranging on time scales from minutes to years. Although the photometric and spectroscopic periods are close, they apparently are not identical, which is reminiscent of the intermediate polars. Hence, there may be no inner disk. However, TT Ari also behaves similarly to the VY Scl novalike systems on time scales of years. To better understand the inter-relations between the short and long term behavior of TT Ari we have undertaken an analysis of the data obtained from our simultaneous multiwavelength campaign of 1991 and IUE spectra spanning (irregularly) a 12 year period. Observed variations in the continuum and line fluxes and in the spectral line profiles are presented. We find that the absorption component of the P-Cygni profile in the C IV (1549 $\rm \AA$) line arising in a high-velocity wind appears to vary on the spectroscopically observed period of $\sim$ 3.3 hr, implying asymmetry in the wind along the observed line-of-sight. Previous observations showed similar results for the continuum flux in the UV. Correlations are being searched amongst the simultaneous X-ray and UV data. Further analysis is underway and will be presented.

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