X–ray observations of accreting white–dwarf systems

Abstract
Accretion in white–dwarf binary systems can occur through discs, accretion columns or a combination of these, depending on the magnetic field of the white dwarf. Recent high–quality X–ray observations with the XMM–Newton and Chandra observatories have significantly advanced our understanding of the physics of the accretion process, and place severe tests on our existing models. There have been some surprises, such as the strong dependence of atmospheric heating on accretion rate. However, we believe that we are now confident that we understand in general the physical processes in the accretion region, although some complicating factors, such as absorption, remain. We also discuss new developments in ultra–short–period white–dwarf binary systems.

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