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Ultracompact accreting binary systems each consist of a stellar remnant accreting helium-enriched material from a compact donor star. Such binaries include two related sub-classes, AM CVn-type binaries and helium cataclysmic variables, in both of which the central star is a white dwarf. We present a spectroscopic and photometric study of six accreting binaries with orbital periods in the range of 40–70 min, including phase-resolved VLT spectroscopy and high-speed ULTRACAM photometry. Four of these are AM CVn systems and two are helium cataclysmic variables. For four of these binaries we are able to identify orbital periods (of which three are spectroscopic). SDSS J1505+0659 has an orbital period of 67.8 min, significantly longer than previously believed, and longer than any other known AM CVn binary. We identify a Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) infrared excess in SDSS J1505+0659 that we believe to be the first direct detection of an AM CVn donor star in a non-direct impacting binary. The mass ratio of SDSS J1505+0659 is consistent with a white dwarf donor. CRTS J1028–0819 has an orbital period of 52.1 min, the shortest period of any helium cataclysmic variable. MOA 2010-BLG-087 is co-aligned with a K-class star that dominates its spectrum. ASASSN-14ei and ASASSN-14mv both show a remarkable number of echo outbursts following superoutbursts (13 and 10 echo outbursts respectively). ASASSN-14ei shows an increased outburst rate over the years following its superoutburst, perhaps resulting from an increased accretion rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We present the results of the first spectroscopic follow-up of 132 optically blue ultraviolet (UV)-excess sources selected from the UV-Excess Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (UVEX). The UV-excess spectra are classified into different populations and grids of model spectra are fitted to determine spectral types, temperatures, surface gravities and reddening. From this initial spectroscopic follow-up 95 per cent of the UV-excess candidates turn out to be genuine UV-excess sources such as white dwarfs, white dwarf binaries, subdwarf types O and B, emission-line stars and quasi stellar objects. The remaining sources are classified as slightly reddened main-sequence stars with spectral types later than A0V. The fraction of DA white dwarfs is 47 per cent with reddening smaller than E( B − V) ≤ 0.7 mag. Relations between the different populations and their UVEX photometry, Galactic latitude and reddening are shown. A larger fraction of UVEX white dwarfs is found at magnitudes fainter than g > 17 and Galactic latitude smaller than | b| < 4 compared to main-sequence stars, blue horizontal branch stars and subdwarfs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]