SOAR observations of the high-viscosity accretion disc of the dwarf nova V4140 Sagitarii in quiescence and in outburst

Abstract

We report the analysis of 22 B-band light curves of the dwarf nova V4140 Sgr obtained with SOI/SOAR during two nights along the decline of a superoutburst in 2006 Sep 12-24 and in quiescence over 50 days following the superoutburst. Three-dimensional eclipse mapping of the outburst light curves indicates that the accretion disc is elliptical (eccentricity e=0.13) and that superhump maximum occurs when the mass donor star is aligned with the bulge of the elliptical disc. The accretion disc is geometrically thin both in outburst and in quiescence; it fills the primary Roche lobe in outburst and shrinks to about half this size in quiescence. The stability of the eclipse shape, width and depth along quiescence and the derived disc surface brightness distribution indicate that the quiescent accretion disc is in a high-viscosity, steady-state. Flickering mapping of the quiescent data reveal that the low-frequency flickering arises from an azimuthally-extended stream-disc impact region at disc rim and from the innermost disc region, whereas the high-frequency flickering originates in the accretion disc. Assuming the disc-related flickering to be caused by fluctuations in the energy dissipation rate induced by magneto-hydrodynamic turbulence (Gertseema & Achterberg 1992), we find that the quiescent disc viscosity parameter is large (alpha ~ 0.2-0.4) at all radii. The high-viscosity quiescent disc and the inferred low disc temperatures in superoutburst are inconsistent with expectations of the disc-instability model, and lead to the conclusion that the outbursts of V4140 Sgr are powered by mass transfer bursts from its donor star.