Doppler tomography of accretion in binaries

Abstract

Since its conception, Doppler tomography has matured into a versatile and widely used tool. It exploits the information contained in the highly-structured spectral line-profiles typically observed in mass-transferring binaries. Using inversion techniques akin to medical imaging, it permits the reconstruction of Doppler maps that image the accretion flow on micro-arcsecond scales. I summarise the basic concepts behind the technique and highlight two recent results; the use of donor star emission as a means to system parameter determination, and the real-time movies of the evolving accretion flow in the cataclysmic variable WZ Sge during its 2001 outburst. I conclude with future opportunities in Doppler tomography by exploiting the combination of superior data sets, second generation reconstruction codes and simulated theoretical tomograms to delve deeper into the physics of accretion flows.

4 pages, two color figures, to appear in the proceedings of IAU JD9, "Astro-tomography", eds. A.Cameron, A.Schwope and S.Vrielmann, movies available at http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~dsteeghs/wzsge/movies.html