Outburst Catalog of Dwarf Novae-type and Other Cataclysmic Variables
Short Name:
DNCVOBCAT
Date:
18 Apr 2025
Publisher:
NASA/GSFC HEASARC
Description:
This outburst catalog contains a wide variety of observational properties for 722 dwarf nova-type (DN) cataclysmic variables (CVs) and 309 CVs of other types from the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey (CRTS). In particular, it includes the apparent outburst and quiescent V-band magnitudes, duty cycles, limits on the recurrence time, upper- and lower-limits on the distance and absolute quiescent magnitudes, color information, orbital parameters, and X-ray counterparts. These properties were determined by means of a classification script presented in the reference paper. The DNs in the catalog show a correlation between the outburst duty cycle and the orbital period (and outburst recurrence time), as well as between the quiescent absolute magnitude and the orbital period (and duty cycle). This is the largest sample of dwarf nova properties collected to date (2016). Besides serving as a useful reference for individual systems and a means of selecting objects for targeted studies, it will prove valuable for statistical studies that aim to shed light on the formation and evolution of cataclysmic variables. The CRTS identifies transients in the data from the Catalina Sky Survey (Larson et al. 1998, BAAS, 30, 1037; 2003, BAAS, 35, 982), a photometric survey that searches for Potentially Hazardous Asteroids and Near Earth Objects. Three sub-surveys constitute the Catalina Sky Survey, namely the original CSS (Catalina Schmidt Survey), the MLS (Mt Lemmon Survey) based in Arizona, and the SSS (Siding Spring Survey) in Australia, which ended on 2014 July 5. The field of view and typical limiting magnitude for each survey (at ~30 s integrations) are 8.2 degrees and V~19.5 mag for the CSS, 1.1 degrees and V~21.5 mag for the MLS, and 4 degrees and V~19 mag for the SSS. Together, these surveys cover 30, 000 deg<sup>2</sup> between -70 and +70 degrees Declination (see Drake et al. 2014, MNRAS, 441, 1186 for more details). The entire zone within 15 Degrees of the Galactic Plane is avoided due to overcrowding, as are the Magellanic Clouds. The properties of the cataclysmic variables in this catalog are derived from the long-term optical light curves from the CRTS, as well as magnitudes, fluxes and orbital parameters from the SDSS, 2MASS, UKIDSS, ROSAT, Chandra, XMM and WISE catalogs, and from the Catalog of Cataclysmic Binaries, Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries and Related Objects (RKCat: Ritter and Kolb 2003, A&A, 404, 301, available at the HEASARC as the RITTERCV, RITTERLMXB and RITTERRBIN tables). This table was created by the HEASARC in October 2017 based on the <a href="https://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/ftp/cats/J/MNRAS/456/4441">CDS catalog J/MNRAS/456/4441</a> file catalog.dat. . This is a service provided by NASA HEASARC .
