X-ray spectroscopy method of white dwarf mass determination in intermediate polars

External systematic uncertainties

Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik, Kepler Center for Astro and Particle Physics, Universität Tübingen, Sand 1, 72076 Tübingen, Germany

^⋆ Corresponding author: suleimanov@astro.uni-tuebingen.de

Received: 4 March 2025
Accepted: 3 July 2025

Abstract

The masses of white dwarfs (WDs) in intermediate polars (IPs) can be determined from the shape of their hard X-ray spectra. Here we study the importance of all possible systematic uncertainties in this X-ray spectroscopy method, including finite radii and rotation of magnetospheres, finite accretion column height, and accretion-flow inclination relative to the WD surface. We also investigate the importance of accretion-heated envelopes on WD surfaces in IPs that are increasing WD radii. Their presence changes the commonly used mass–radius relation for cold WDs. As a first approximation we use thick (10⁻⁴ M_⊙) hydrogen envelope models with a surface temperature of 30 kK. We present a new model grid of hard X-ray spectra of high-luminous IPs computed using a new mass-radius relation. This grid is used for fitting Swift/BAT spectra of 47 IPs. The average WD mass in this sample is 0.82 M_⊙ and coincides with the average WD mass in cataclysmic variables obtained by optical methods. This means that the calculated hard X-ray spectra and the assumptions made that the magnetospheric radii in IPs are close to the corotation radii and that the relative heights of the accretion columns are small are basically correct, because most IPs have high luminosities. However, this universal grid (as well as previous universal grids) cannot give correct results for the low-luminous IPs with probably relatively tall accretion columns on the WD surfaces. Such IPs have to be investigated with individual accretion column models.