Investigating accretion in the rare low-flux states of intermediate polars

Magnetic cataclysmic variables are binary systems which contain a highlymagnetic white dwarf accreting matter along its magnetic field lines from alatetype companion. It has recently been found that a particular class of thesesystems known as intermediate polars occasionally enter previously unanticipatedlow states,.. during which the accretionrate, and therefore flux,mysteriously decreases. Deep, pointed Xray observations of these low states arerare, so we propose a 50ks XMMNewton Target of Opportunity observation of thenext intermediate polar to enter such a state, in order to investigate theaccretion mechanisms (or lack thereof) in this poorly understood lowfluxregime. truncated!, Please see actual data for full text [truncated!, Please see actual data for full text]