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AM Herculis Binaries: Particle Acceleration, Radio Emission and Synchronization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

G. Chanmugam  and
G. A. Dulk
G. Chanmugam
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803-4001
G. A. Dulk
Affiliation:
Department of Astro-Geophysics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309

Abstract

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It has been suggested that the recently discovered radio emission from AM Her arises as a result of gyrosynchrotron radiation from electrons at energies ≈400 keV in the magnetosphere of the white dwarf. However, no mechanism for producing such energetic electrons was discussed. In this paper, we argue that small departures from synchronous rotation can cause the companion star to act as a unipolar inductor. This leads to high voltages being produced across the companion star, which provides the necessary acceleration mechanism. This also implies that if the magnetic white dwarf was formed with a rapid rotation, synchronization would be achieved on a time scale ~104 yr.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Astronomical Union Colloquium , Volume 72: Cataclysmic Variables and Related Objects , 1983 , pp. 223 - 227
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1983

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