A Model of White Dwarf Pulsar AR Scorpii
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2016
Publication Title
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume
831
Issue
1
Abstract
A 3.56 hr white dwarf (WD)-M dwarf (MD) close binary system, AR Scorpii, was recently reported to show pulsating emission in radio, IR, optical, and UV, with a 1.97 minute period, which suggests the existence of a WD with a rotation period of 1.95 minutes. We propose a model to explain the temporal and spectral characteristics of the system. The WD is a nearly perpendicular rotator, with both open field line beams sweeping the MD stellar wind periodically. A bow shock propagating into the stellar wind accelerates electrons in the wind. Synchrotron radiation of these shocked electrons can naturally account for the broadband (from radio to X-rays) spectral energy distribution of the system. © 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..
Keywords
binaries: general; pulsars: general; radiation mechanisms: non-thermal; white dwarfs
Language
English
Repository Citation
Geng, J.,
Zhang, B.,
Huang, Y. F.
(2016).
A Model of White Dwarf Pulsar AR Scorpii.
Astrophysical Journal Letters, 831(1),
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/831/1/L10
