Ritter Catalog: 1,166 Cataclysmic Binary Stars with Orbital Parameters

March 2014 edition of a catalog containing data for 1,166 cataclysmic binaries, 105 low-mass X-ray binaries, and 500 related objects. The HEASARC database table, provided by NASA, splits this into three tables, with this one focusing on cataclysmic binaries. It includes coordinates, magnitudes, orbital parameters, and stellar component data, incorporating literature published before 1 January 2014.

Use Cases

• Classifying cataclysmic variable subtypes based on orbital parameters and stellar components.
• Modeling binary star evolution and accretion dynamics using the provided stellar parameters.
• Cross-matching astronomical observations with known catalog coordinates and magnitudes.
• Statistical analysis of binary star populations and their characteristic properties.

Strengths

• Contains data for 1,166 specific cataclysmic binary objects.
• Includes multiple data types: coordinates, magnitudes, orbital parameters, and stellar parameters.
• Literature review includes sources published before 1 January 2014.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data is from 2014; newer discoveries and parameters are not included.
• Row count for this specific table is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

NASA HEASARC, based on the Catalog of Cataclysmic Binaries, Low-Mass X-ray Binaries, and Related Objects (7th Edition, Release 7.21) by Ritter & Kolb.

Collection Method

Compilation from published astronomical literature.

Time Range

Literature published before 1 January 2014.

Freshness

Last updated by the HEASARC in April 2014.

Geography

Celestial coordinates (likely all-sky).