The evolution of Cataclysmic Variables: Clues from HST & FUSE
observations
Sofia Araujo-Betancor
Over the past few years it has become increasingly clear that our
understanding of the evolution of cataclysmic variables (CVs) is a
rather unsettled matter. A number of predictions made by the standard
theory of CV evolution, disrupted magnetic braking, are in direct
conflict with observations. Recent studies have proposed
alternatives/modifications to the standard scenario of CV evolution
that do fix some of the problems, but they also result in some new
conflicts with the observations. It is obvious that without the
properties of a statistically complete sample of CVs no current theory
of CV evolution could be properly tested. Here I will report recent
HST and FUSE observations of a group of magnetic CVs and Pre-CVs, from
which temperatures of their white dwarf primaries have been derived. I
will discuss the implications of the results for our current
understanding of CV evolution.