Optical Characterization of Two Cataclysmic Variables: RBS 0490 and SDSS J075939.79+191417.3

Abstract

We present optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of two cataclysmic variables (CVs), namely RBS 0490 and SDSS J075939.79+191417.3. The optical variations of RBS 0490 have been found to occur with a period of 1.689 ± 0.001 hr, which appears to be the probable orbital period of the system. Present photometric observations of SDSS J075939.79+191417.3 confirm and refine the previously determined orbital period as 3.14240928 ± 0.00000096 hr. The presence of long-duration eclipse features in the light curves of SDSS J075939.79+191417.3 indicates that eclipses might be due to an accretion disk and bright spot. The orbital inclination of SDSS J075939.79+191417.3 is estimated to be ∼78° using the eclipse morphology. The phased light-curve variations during the orbital cycle of RBS 0490 provide evidence of emission from an independent second accretion region or a second fainter pole. Optical spectra of RBS 0490 and SDSS J075939.79+191417.3 show the presence of strong Balmer and weak He ii (λ4686) emission lines, along with the detection of strong Hβ emission lines with a large equivalent width. The characteristic features of RBS 0490 seem to favor low-field polars, while SDSS J075939.79+191417.3 appears to be similar to nonmagnetic systems.