An outburst of the magnetic cataclysmic variable XY Arietis observed with RXTE

Abstract

We report the first observed outburst of the magnetic cataclysmic variable XY An. X-ray observations show a flux increase by an order of magnitude the day after the first signs of outburst. For the 5-d duration the X-ray spin pulse is greatly enhanced and the X-ray spectrum far more absorbed. We suggest that the inner disc pushes inwards during outburst, blocking the view to the lower accreting pole, breaking the symmetry present in quiescence, and so producing a large pulsation. The observations are consistent with a disc instability as the cause of the outburst, although we cannot rule out alternatives. We draw parallels between our data and the UV delay and dwarf nova oscillations seen in non-magnetic dwarf novae. © 1997 RAS.