J/A+A/312/93 J/A+A/312/93 Cataclysmic variables systemic-velocity J Van Paradijs T Augusteijn R Stehle Astron. Astrophys. 312 93 1996 1996A&A...312...93V V/82 : Cataclysmic binaries (Ritter & Kolb, 1995) Binaries, cataclysmic Radial velocities accretion, accretion disks novae, cataclysmic variables stars: distances stars: kinematics We have collected {gamma} velocities of cataclysmic variables from a survey of published orbital radial-velocity studies. We argue that for the non-magnetic cataclysmic variables the {gamma} distribution gives a fair description of the systemic radial velocities; for magnetic cataclysmic variables the effect of motions within the system appears to be substantial. Assuming that the distribution of the spatial velocities of cataclysmic variables in the solar neighbourhood follows the velocity ellipsoid, with dispersions as given by Wielen (1977), we estimate that the dispersion of z-velocities of CVs is in the range 16 to 21km/s. With the galactic potential of Kuijken and Gilmore (1989) we then derive the distribution of distances, z, above the galactic plane. This distribution has an exponential scale height in the range 160-230pc, which is nearly a factor of two larger than that obtained for the z distribution of systems with known distances. This probably reflects the incompleteness of the census of cataclysmic variables at distances even as small as ~100pc. The velocity distribution of cataclysmic variables indicates that they are an old disk population, with a mix of ages up to 10Gyr.

Name Source name --- Type Type number=1 the types are: AM AM Herculis (subtype cataclysmic variables) DN Dwarf Nova (subtype cataclysmic variables) DQ DQ Herculis (subtype cataclysmic variables) IP Intermediate Polars NA Novae A type NB Novae B type NL Nova like objects SU SU Ursae Majoris (subtype cataclysmic variables) UG U Geminorum (subtype cataclysmic variables) UX UX Ursae Majoris (subtype cataclysmic variables) ZC Z Camelopardalis (subtype cataclysmic variables) For more information see: B. Warner, 'Cataclysmic Variables', Cambridge University Press (1995) or H. Ritter and U. Kolb, in 'X-ray Binaries', Eds W.H.G. Lewin, J. van Paradijs, & E.P.J. van den Heuvel, Cambridge University Press (1995) (catalog <V/82>) --- RV Radial velocity km/s u_RV Uncertainty flag on radial velocity --- Ref Reference codes (see refs file) --- Ref Reference number --- Text Text of reference --- table1.texLaTeX version of table1 Patricia Bauer CDS 1996Feb02 J_A+A_312_93.xml