On the new short orbital period cataclysmic variable Hα0242-2802

¹ ESO, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Casillas 19001, Vitacura Santiago, Chile e-mail: emason@eso.org
² WIYN/NOAO, P.O. Box 26732, 950 Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719, USA e-mail: howell@noao.edu

Received: 10 November 2004
Accepted: 2 May 2005

Abstract

We present results from our phase-resolved spectroscopy of the newly identified cataclysmic variable Hα0242-2802. Hα0242-2802 was identified from a deep UK Schmidt Hα-R band survey as a candidate cataclysmic variable. Although initial spectroscopy revealed an optical spectrum very similar to that of the famous short orbital period system WZ Sge, the analysis of our data shows that this is not the case. Hα0242-28 differs from WZ Sge in both the accretion disk structure and the orbital period. In particular, Hα0242-28 appears to be a system which has not reached the orbital period minimum, yet.