ECLIPSES IN CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES WITH STATIONARY ACCRETION DISKS .1.A NEW APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM OF LIGHT-CURVE ANALYSIS

Light curves of cataclysmic variables with stationary accretion disks are a superposition of a disk light curve and a hot spot light curve. The contribution from the spot complicates the analysis of the disk ec lipse. As a new approach to this problem, it is proposed to perform th e light curve analysis in three parts: (1) decomposition of the observ ed light curve into the spot and disk light curves, (2) analysis of th e disk light curve, and (3) analysis of the spot light curve, with par ts (2) and (3) providing independent constraints on system parameters. Simple models and methods, to be used in the analysis of the disk and spot eclipse light curves, are then described. The model disk light c urves include, in particular, the effects connected with the finite ge ometrical thickness of the disk. A rediscussion of the M(V) vs. M rela tion for stationary accretion disks shows that effects due to the fini te geometrical thickness of the disk can contribute significantly to i ts luminosity.