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Stokes Imaging: Mapping the Accretion Region(s) in Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables

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Astronomy at High Angular Resolution

Part of the book series: Astrophysics and Space Science Library ((ASSL,volume 439))

Abstract

Stokes imaging is the first objective and analytical technique that robustly models the cyclotron emission and maps the accretion zones in magnetic Cataclysmic Variables (mCVs) (Potter et al., MNRAS 297:1261, 1998). I discuss polarisation modelling followed by a summary of the Stokes imaging technique and its application to a real data set. In the final sections I discuss two ongoing developments to Stokes imaging, namely: using a more realistic “stratified” accretion shock model in order to calculate cyclotron spectra, and using Stokes imaging in conjunction with other tomographic techniques in order to gain better insights into magnetic accretion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. South African Astronomical Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa

    Stephen B. Potter

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  1. Stephen B. Potter
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Correspondence to Stephen B. Potter .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. ESO Vitacura, Santiago de Chile, Chile

    Henri M. J. Boffin

  2. ESO, Garching, Germany

    Gaitee Hussain

  3. ESO Vitacura, Santiago de Chile, Chile

    Jean-Philippe Berger

  4. ESO Vitacura, Santiago de Chile, Chile

    Linda Schmidtobreick

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Potter, S.B. (2016). Stokes Imaging: Mapping the Accretion Region(s) in Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables. In: Boffin, H., Hussain, G., Berger, JP., Schmidtobreick, L. (eds) Astronomy at High Angular Resolution. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 439. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39739-9_10

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