€The
form of the spectral energy distribution, and particularly the relationship
between the direct component of emission (X-ray thermal bremsstrahlung +
cyclotron) and the reprocessed component been the topic of much
debate.
€Until
recently measurements have indicated that the soft X-rays are much stronger than
the direct emission, in contradiction to the basic model for
magnetically confined accretion
€One
possibility has been that the accretion flow is not smooth, known as ³blobby²
accretion:
–gives
rise to flares in light curve (c.f. VV Pup)
–blobs
bury themselves deep in the white dwarf, so
no visible post-shock flow for direct emission Þ soft X-ray excess