Ultraviolet spectral behavior of AO Psc and V1223 Sgr from the HST and IUE satellites

Abstract

We present a spectroscopic study of two intermediate polar systems, AO Psc and V1223 Sgr observed with the Hubble Space Telescope Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST STIS) and International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) during the period 1980–2000. The reddening of two systems is determined from the 2200 A feature. The ultraviolet emission lines are originating in the accretion disk as a result of existing an extra component of emission in the EUV/soft X-ray range with luminosity comparable to the accretion luminosity which reprocessed to produce the observed ultraviolet line strengths. Different spectra for both systems showing the variations in line fluxes at different orbital phases are presented. We concentrated on calculating the line fluxes of C IV 1550 A & He II 1640 A emission lines. From HST and IUE data, we derived an accretion luminosities and an accretion rates for two systems. Our results show that there are variations in line fluxes, accretion luminosities and accretion rates with time for two systems. These variations are attributed to the variations of both density and temperature as a result of a changing rate of mass transfer from the secondary star to the white dwarf. These results from the IUE and HST observations are consistent with the models of Ko et al. (Astrophys. J., 457:363K, 1996).