Time Domain Astrophysics Stephen Potter South African Astronomical Observatory
Overview What is Time Domain Astrophysics (Astrotomography)? Variability in Interacting Binaries Cataclysmic Variables Doppler Tomography Roche Tomography Stokes Imaging Eclipse Mapping SALT first Science High speed CCD photometry 2
Variability in Interacting Binaries –Accretion onto WD in CVs –P orb : minutes – hours –P spin : tens of seconds –Mass accretion events/ outbursts : months –Magnetic cycles : years – decades –WD/inner disc dominate soft X-ray, UV (SALT strength) –Outer disc emission mostly in optical –Mass donor reveals itself in the red/IR –For X-ray binaries (NS/BH) keV/MeV emission + –variability as fast as milliseconds 3
Cataclysmic Variables A.P. Beardmore / 4
Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables A.P. Beardmore / 5
Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables A.P. Beardmore / 6
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Doppler Tomography Schwope et al, 1997, A&A, 319, 894 8
Doppler Tomography 9
Roche Tomography Potter, Romero-Colmenero, Watson, Buckley, Phillips 2004, MNRAS, 348,
Spectral eclipse mapping Rutten et al Nature, 362,
Multi-epoch Doppler Tomography Schwope et al. 2000, MNRAS, 313,
Spin Doppler Tomography 13
Steeghs, D., Harlaftis, E.T., Horne, K., 1999, MNRAS, 306, 348 Targets of opportunity Doppler Tomography 14
Spectral eclipse mapping Baptista et al MNRAS, 314,
Stokes imaging Potter et al. 2004, MNRAS, 348,316 16
SALTICAM light curves of SDSS J
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