AM Canum Venaticorum [SEP] constellation
AM Canum Venaticorum
AM Canum Venaticorum (AM CVn) is a hydrogen-deficient cataclysmic variable binary star in the constellation of Canes Venatici. It is the type star of its class of variables, the AM Canum Venaticorum stars. The system consists of a white dwarf gaining matter via an accretion disk from a semi-degenerate or white dwarf companion.
Observations.
During 1939–40, a survey for faint white dwarfs was carried out using an Schmidt telescope at Palomar observatory. Part of the survey was made around the north
AM Canum Venaticorum star
An AM Canum Venaticorum star (AM CVn star), is a rare type of cataclysmic variable star named after their type star, AM Canum Venaticorum. In these hot blue binary variables, a white dwarf accretes hydrogen-poor matter from a compact companion star.
These binaries have extremely short orbital periods (shorter than about one hour) and have unusual spectra dominated by helium with hydrogen absent or extremely weak. They are predicted to be strong sources of gravitational radiation, strong enough to be detected