radial-velocity curve fitting back to top previous page next page



Davey & Smith, 1996, MNRAS, 280, 481


the radial velocity curves of the secondary stars in CVs will be distorted by any non-uniformity in the line strength distribution over the stellar surface.

Assuming irradiation to be the dominant source of non-uniformity, Davey & Smith fitted the radial velocity curves of a number of CVs with a "one-spot" model for the secondary star, defined by three parameters:
  1. the longitudinal displacement of the centre of the spot from the L1 point,
  2. the extent of the spot in longitude, and
  3. the maximum flux from the spot.
The resulting maps show asymmetries which they attributed to shielding and/or circulation currents.