K. Lyons et al., Archival HST and IUE study of the dwarf novae AH Herculis and CM Delphini:Exposed white dwarfs?, ASTRONOM J, 122(1), 2001, pp. 327-331
We have analyzed Hubble Space Telescope (HST) archival and IUE NEWSIPS arch
ival SWP spectra of the dwarf novae CM Del and AH Her obtained when AAVSO l
ight-curve data indicated the occurrence of dwarf nova quiescence. We have
computed synthetic, high-gravity spectra in LTE with solar composition usin
g TLUSTY195 and SYNSPEC42 and have carried out fits of these models to the
far-UV continuum and narrow absorption line spectra. For CM Del, we find th
at the far-UV spectrum is dominated by a hot (T-eff = 22,000 K and log g =
8) white dwarf, but reliable information on the metal abundances is unavail
able because of the quality of the data. For AH Her, we find evidence for a
hot white dwarf with T-eff = 27,000 K and log g = 8, with subsolar abundan
ce for Si. An HST spectrum (GHRS G160M) of AH Her reveals blue-asymmetric S
i IV profiles. If this is due to wind outflow, we derive a single-scatterin
g, upper limit, mass-loss rate of 10(-9) M-. yr(-1). Synthetic profile fits
to 12 co-added HST medium-resolution G160M spectra of the Si IV (1393, 140
2 Angstrom) resonance doublet of CM Del AZ) yield a white dwarf rotational
velocity estimate of v sin i = 400(-30)(+70) km s(-1) and Si/H = 1(-0.3)(+0
.5) times solar. ,The value of v sin i for CM Del is discussed in the conte
xt of angular momentum transfer and rotation rates for other cataclysmic va
riable, primary degenerate stars.