€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