First XMM-Newton observations of a Cataclysmic Variable II: The X-ray spectrum of OY Car^*

¹ Mullard Space Science Lab., University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6NT, UK
² Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
³ Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, 538 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA
⁴ Astrophysics Division, ESTEC, 2200, AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
⁵ Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK

Corresponding author: G. Ramsay, gtbr@mssl.ucl.ac.uk

Received: 27 September 2000
Accepted: 20 October 2000

Abstract

We present XMM-Newton X-ray spectra of the disc accreting cataclysmic variable OY Car, which were obtained during the performance verification phase of the mission. These data were taken 4 days after a short outburst. In the EPIC spectra we find strong iron Kα emission with weaker iron Kβ emission together with silicon and sulphur lines. The spectra are best fitted with a three temperature plasma model with a partial covering absorber. Multiple temperature emission is confirmed by the emission lines seen in the RGS spectrum and the H/He like intensity ratio for iron and sulphur which imply temperatures of ~7 keV and ~3 keV respectively.