NEW CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES FROM THE ROSAT ALL-SKY SURVEY

We report the discovery of 7 new cataclysmic variables in the low gala ctic latitude (\b\ less than or equal to 20 degrees) part of the ROSAT all sky survey. All but one of these new sources have been optically identified. These interacting binaries were either found in subsets of sources chosen for their particular X-ray/optical properties or in sp ecific areas selected for statistical studies. The present sample is t herefore not representative of the overall content of the survey. One, or probably two, of these new cataclysmic variables are intermediate polars. RXJ0028.8+5917 (P-s = 312.8 s) which exhibits the usual hard X -ray spectrum typical of this class has an orbital period of 4-5 hours and is probably identical to 1H 0025+588 / 4U 0027+59. The other puls ating source, RXJ1914.4+2456 (P-s = 567.7 s) awaits optical identifica tion in order to confirm its cataclysmic variable nature. RXJ1914.41-2 456 has an X-ray energy distribution dominated by a super-soft compone nt which may be fitted with a 43 eV black body. RXJ1914.4+2456 thus pr obably belongs to the new class of soft intermediate polars discovered by ROSAT. Our deep optical search failed to reveal a counterpart brig hter than V approximate to 19.7. This upper limit is consistent with t he source being a cataclysmic variable if the large amount of absorpti on detected at X-ray energies is mainly of interstellar origin. Three other sources, RXJ0502.811624, RXJ1141.3-6410 and RXJ2123.7+4217 exhib it X-ray and optical properties suggesting magnetic systems.