I. Shlosman et P. Vitello, WINDS FROM ACCRETION DISKS - ULTRAVIOLET LINE FORMATION IN CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES, The Astrophysical journal, 409(1), 1993, pp. 372-386
Winds from accretion disks in cataclysmic variable stars are ubiquitou
s. Observations by IUE reveal P Cygni-shaped profiles of high-ionizati
on lines which are attributed to these winds. We have studied the form
ation of UV emission lines in cataclysmic variables by constructing ki
nematical models of biconical rotating outflows from disks around whit
e dwarfs. The photoionization in the wind is calculated taking into ac
count the radiation fields of the disk, the boundary layer, and the wh
ite dwarf. The three-dimensional radiative transfer is solved in the S
obolev approximation. Effects on the line shapes of varying basic phys
ical parameters of the wind, such as accretion and mass-loss rates, te
mperature of the boundary layer, rotation, as well as inclination angl
e, are shown explicitly. We identify and map the resonant scattering r
egions in the wind which have strongly biconical character regardless
of the asumed velocity and radiation fields. Rotation at the base of t
he wind introduces a radial shear which decreases the line optical dep
th and reduces the line core intensity. We find that it is possible to
reproduce the observed P Cygni line shapes and make some predictions
to be verified in high-resolution observations.