Detecting Outflows from Cataclysmic Variables in the Optical

Cataclysmic variables (CVs) often show evidence of bipolar winds that carry away mass and angular momentum, likely affecting the evolution of the system. For the most part, it has only been possible to study such winds by means of the P Cygni profiles seen in space-UV resonance lines. We demonstrate that optical P Cygni profiles in two He I lines (λλ5876 and 7065) and in Hα provide an alternative method for studying CV outflows. We give the results of a spectroscopic study of a few disk systems (BZ Cam, Q Cyg, HR Del, DI Lac, BT Mon, and AT Cnc) in which wind signatures indicate maximum observed blueshifted absorption ( v edge ) up to ∼4600 km s -1 . A discussion of the wind characteristics in individual systems is presented, along with near-simultaneous optical photometry.