SW Sex

An Eclipsing Cataclysmic Variable Star

SW Sex is a cataclysmic variable star located in the constellation Sextans. It is the prototype of a whole subclass of stars known as "SW Sextantis stars." These are close binary systems where material from a normal star is transferred onto a white dwarf, forming an accretion disk. SW Sex is notable for its unusual spectral and photometric properties, including high mass-transfer rates, deep eclipses, and strong emission lines in its spectrum.

Photometry & Images

Catalogue Gaia
RA 153.789019569°
DEC -3.142490545°
U --
B --
V --
Parallax (mas) 1.61 ± 0.03
Light curve

TESS Data

sectors8 sectors35 sectors89

AAVSO Data

aavsodataimage

Spectroscopy

Spectrum of SW Sex

References

1. Groot P. J., Rutten R. G. M., van Paradijs J. SW Sextantis in an excited, low state //Astronomy & Astrophysics. – 2001. – Т. 368. – №. 1. – С. 183-196.

2. Dhillon V. S., Marsh T. R., Jones D. H. P. On the nature of SW Sex //Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. – 1997. – Т. 291. – №. 4. – С. 694-708.

3. Dhillon V. S., Smith D. A., Marsh T. R. The SW Sex enigma //Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. – 2013. – Т. 428. – №. 4. – С. 3559-3568.