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An accretion model for the eclipsing cataclysmic variable PG0859+415

The emission lines found in the majority of cataclysmic variables are generally used as tracers of accretion flows which dominate the light at optical wavelengths. It has been suggested from previous observations that the eclipsing nova-like variable PG0859+415 shows individualistic orbital characteristics which are inconsistent with canonical models of stellar accretion. We present spectrophotometry of this star which suggest that the standard picture is not in conflict with observation. We provide evidence that the shallow optical eclipses are of an extended bright spot rather than the accretion disc, and that the low-excitation lines are dominated by a transient absorption component, perhaps a result of the bright spot or accretion stream eclipsing the disc. We argue that this object may be another nova-like variable displaying long-term or cyclic variations in mass-transfer rate from the secondary star.