Dynamical Formation of Close Binaries in Globular Clusters: Cataclysmic Variables

We answer the long-standing question of which production mechanism is responsible for the cataclysmic variables (CVs) in globular clusters. Arguments have been given that range from mostly primordial presence to a significant contribution of later dynamical formation in close stellar encounters. We conclude, based on a thorough analysis of a homogeneous Chandra data set, that the majority of CVs in dense globular clusters have a dynamical origin.