An accurate geometric distance to the compact binary SS Cygni vindicates accretion disc theory
Dwarf novae are white dwarfs accreting matter from a nearby red dwarf companion. Their regular outbursts are explained by a thermal-viscous instability in the accretion disc, described by the disc instability model that has since been successfully extended to other accreting systems. However, the pr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
The American Association for the Advancement of Science
2013
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6135/950 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/47140 |
| _version_ | 1848757752275402752 |
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| author | Miller-Jones, James Sivakoff, G. Knigge, C. Koerding, E. Templeton, M. Waagen, E. |
| author_facet | Miller-Jones, James Sivakoff, G. Knigge, C. Koerding, E. Templeton, M. Waagen, E. |
| author_sort | Miller-Jones, James |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Dwarf novae are white dwarfs accreting matter from a nearby red dwarf companion. Their regular outbursts are explained by a thermal-viscous instability in the accretion disc, described by the disc instability model that has since been successfully extended to other accreting systems. However, the prototypical dwarf nova, SS Cygni, presents a major challenge to our understanding of accretion disc theory. At the distance of 159 ± 12 parsecs measured by the Hubble Space Telescope, it is too luminous to be undergoing the observed regular outbursts. Using very long baseline interferometric radio observations, we report an accurate, model-independent distance to SS Cygni that places the source substantially closer at 114 ± 2 parsecs. This reconciles the source behavior with our understanding of accretion disc theory in accreting compact objects. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:33:05Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-47140 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:33:05Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | The American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-471402017-02-28T01:48:18Z An accurate geometric distance to the compact binary SS Cygni vindicates accretion disc theory Miller-Jones, James Sivakoff, G. Knigge, C. Koerding, E. Templeton, M. Waagen, E. Dwarf novae are white dwarfs accreting matter from a nearby red dwarf companion. Their regular outbursts are explained by a thermal-viscous instability in the accretion disc, described by the disc instability model that has since been successfully extended to other accreting systems. However, the prototypical dwarf nova, SS Cygni, presents a major challenge to our understanding of accretion disc theory. At the distance of 159 ± 12 parsecs measured by the Hubble Space Telescope, it is too luminous to be undergoing the observed regular outbursts. Using very long baseline interferometric radio observations, we report an accurate, model-independent distance to SS Cygni that places the source substantially closer at 114 ± 2 parsecs. This reconciles the source behavior with our understanding of accretion disc theory in accreting compact objects. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/47140 http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6135/950 The American Association for the Advancement of Science restricted |
| spellingShingle | Miller-Jones, James Sivakoff, G. Knigge, C. Koerding, E. Templeton, M. Waagen, E. An accurate geometric distance to the compact binary SS Cygni vindicates accretion disc theory |
| title | An accurate geometric distance to the compact binary SS Cygni vindicates accretion disc theory |
| title_full | An accurate geometric distance to the compact binary SS Cygni vindicates accretion disc theory |
| title_fullStr | An accurate geometric distance to the compact binary SS Cygni vindicates accretion disc theory |
| title_full_unstemmed | An accurate geometric distance to the compact binary SS Cygni vindicates accretion disc theory |
| title_short | An accurate geometric distance to the compact binary SS Cygni vindicates accretion disc theory |
| title_sort | accurate geometric distance to the compact binary ss cygni vindicates accretion disc theory |
| url | http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6135/950 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/47140 |