Optical Photometry of BY Cam Modeled Using a Multipolar Magnetic Field Structure

POSTER

Abstract

We present new high-speed broad-band optical photometry of the asynchronous polar (magnetic cataclysmic variable) BY Cam. Observations were obtained at the 2.1-m Otto Struve Telescope of McDonald Observatory with 3s integration times. In an attempt to understand the observed complex changes in accretion flow geometry, we performed full 3D MHD simulations assuming a variety of white dwarf magnetic field structures including both aligned and non-aligned dipole plus quadrupole field components. We compare model predictions with photometry and various phases of the beat cycle and find that synthetic light curves derived from a multipolar field structure are consistent with the optical photometry.

Authors

  • John Morales

    Univ of Texas, El Paso

  • Paul Mason

    Univ of Texas, El Paso

  • Hanu Arava

    University of Houston, University of Texas at Brownsville, None, Univ of Texas, San Antonio, University of Texas at El Paso, Univ of Arizona, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Laboratoire des Mat\'eriaux Avanc\'es, Universit\'e Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UTEP, University of Texas, Austin, University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences, University of Texas at Arlington, The University of Texas at Arlington, MIT, U. Mass. Dartmouth, Texas A{\&}M University, Texas Christian University, Laboratoire des Mat\'erieux Avanc\'es B\^atiment Virgo, Ion Beam Materials Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Texas A\&M University, Accelerator Research Laboratory, University of Florida, The Ohio State University, Yale University, University of Guelph, Canada, Armagh Observatory, NASA-Ames, NASA-Goddard, Texas A\&M University-Commerce, Texas A\&M University, Hanyang University, Texas A\&M Univ, Department of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran, Physics Department, Texas State University at San Marcos

  • Hanu Arava

    University of Houston, University of Texas at Brownsville, None, Univ of Texas, San Antonio, University of Texas at El Paso, Univ of Arizona, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Laboratoire des Mat\'eriaux Avanc\'es, Universit\'e Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UTEP, University of Texas, Austin, University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences, University of Texas at Arlington, The University of Texas at Arlington, MIT, U. Mass. Dartmouth, Texas A{\&}M University, Texas Christian University, Laboratoire des Mat\'erieux Avanc\'es B\^atiment Virgo, Ion Beam Materials Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Texas A\&M University, Accelerator Research Laboratory, University of Florida, The Ohio State University, Yale University, University of Guelph, Canada, Armagh Observatory, NASA-Ames, NASA-Goddard, Texas A\&M University-Commerce, Texas A\&M University, Hanyang University, Texas A\&M Univ, Department of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran, Physics Department, Texas State University at San Marcos

  • Hanu Arava

    University of Houston, University of Texas at Brownsville, None, Univ of Texas, San Antonio, University of Texas at El Paso, Univ of Arizona, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Laboratoire des Mat\'eriaux Avanc\'es, Universit\'e Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UTEP, University of Texas, Austin, University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences, University of Texas at Arlington, The University of Texas at Arlington, MIT, U. Mass. Dartmouth, Texas A{\&}M University, Texas Christian University, Laboratoire des Mat\'erieux Avanc\'es B\^atiment Virgo, Ion Beam Materials Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Texas A\&M University, Accelerator Research Laboratory, University of Florida, The Ohio State University, Yale University, University of Guelph, Canada, Armagh Observatory, NASA-Ames, NASA-Goddard, Texas A\&M University-Commerce, Texas A\&M University, Hanyang University, Texas A\&M Univ, Department of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran, Physics Department, Texas State University at San Marcos