An alternative model of the magnetic cataclysmic variable V1432 Aquilae (=RX J1940.1-1025)

Abstract

V1432 Aql is currently considered to be an asynchronous AM Her type system, with an orbital period of 12116.3 s and a spin period of 12150 s. I present an alternative model in which V1432 Aql is an intermediate polar with disk overflow or diskless accretion geometry, with a spin period near 4040 s. I argue that published data are insufficient to distinguish between the two models; instead, I provide a series of predictions of the two models that can be tested against future observations.

10 pages LaTeX including 3 Postscript Figures, to be published in ApJ