time-resolved infrared spectroscopy offers the unique opportunity to disentangle the main components of infrared emission from magnetic cataclysmic variables: the first harmonics of the cyclotron radiation and the photospheric emission of the late-type secondary star. this allows to determine the configuration and strength of the magnetic fields and to derive the distances of the systems. we have selected a sample of different types of magnetic cataclysmic variables and propose to study the three most promising targets. the fundamental cyclotron frequencies of these systems are expected to lie at virgul5 um or even longer wavelengths and a spectroscopic coverage of the lowest harmonics will only be possible with iso. as the cyclotron flux emitted towards the observer varies with the viewing angle with respect to the magnetic field, observations at different orbital phases are required to obtain full information about the field. the infrared spectra will be compared with cyclotron model spectra to determine the field strengths, shock temperatures, and geometries of the accretion regions. due to the short orbital periods of am her stars, these systems contain late m-type main sequence secondaries which in most cases can only be detected in the infrared. using mass-radius and mass-luminosity relationships, the infrared flux of the secondaries is an important indicator for the distances of cataclysmic variables. hence, flux determinations of the secondary stars will yield the accretion luminosities and provide information on the space density of magnetic cataclysmic variables.
Instrument
CAM01 , PHT40
Temporal Coverage
1996-09-14T02:55:31Z/1998-02-15T15:40:39Z
Version
1.0
Mission Description
The Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) was the world's first true orbiting infrared observatory. Equipped with four highly-sophisticated and versatile scientific instruments, it was launched by Ariane in November 1995 and provided astronomers world-wide with a facility of unprecedented sensitivity and capabilities for a detailed exploration of the Universe at infrared wavelengths.
