MASS-TRANSFER RATE AND OUTBURST CYCLE OF SS-CYGNI

From an analysis of the.SS Cygni light curve, we have recently shown ( Hempelmann & Kurths 1990) that the rate of mass transfer, M(T), from t he secondary star to the white dwarf primary is inversely correlated w ith the outburst cycle, t(c). This has been criticized as being of a t rivial nature by Cannizzo & Mattei (1992). We demonstrate the nontrivi al character of our finding by means of a gedankenexperiment which is based on the static outburst parameters observed. We show in this expe riment that a positive M(T)-t(c) correlation is possible. The negative correlation found by Hempelmann & Kurths (1990) is a consequence of t he dynamics of small and strong outbursts.