The continuous radiation emitted by accretion discs in cataclysmic binaries: the dwarf nova SS Cyg during outburst and old novae V 603 Aq1 and RR Pic

A steady-state model of the accretion disc around a white dwarf, including the boundary layer and the hot spot, has been constructed. Calculated distributions of radiation are compared with soft X-ray, ultraviolet, visual, and infrared observations of SS Cyg during outburst as well as with ultraviolet measurements of V 603 Aql and RR Pic. The results support accretion models of dwarf nova outbursts. The comparison of the discs in dwarf novae with those in old novae is made. The role of the ionizing radiation produced by the accretion in cataclysmic binaries is discussed. (author)