https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/20136407003
The Peculiar Binary System AE Aquarii from its Characteristic Multi-wavelength Emission
1 Department of Physics, Busitema University, P. O. Box 236, Tororo, Uganda
2 Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
a email: bc.oruru@gmail.com
b email: MeintjPJ@sci.ufs.ac.za
Published online: 8 January 2014
The multi-wavelength properties of the novalike variable system AE Aquarii are discussed in terms of the interaction between the accretion inflow from a late-type main sequence star and the magnetosphere of a fast rotating white dwarf. This results in an efficient magnetospheric propeller process and particle acceleration. The spin-down of the white dwarf at a period rate of 5.64×10−14 s s−1 results in a huge spin-down luminosity of Ls−d ≃ 6 10×33 erg s−1. Hence, the observed non-thermal hard X-ray emission and VHE and TeV gamma-ray emission may suggest that AE Aquarii can be placed in the category of spin-powered pulsars. Besides, observed hard X-ray luminosity of LX,hard ≤ 5 × 1030 erg s−1 constitutes 0.1 % of the total spin-down luminosity of the white dwarf. This paper will discuss some recent theoretical studies and data analysis of the system.
© Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2014
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
