IDENTIFICATION OF A WIDE, LOW-MASS MULTIPLE SYSTEM CONTAINING THE BROWN DWARF 2MASS J0850359+105716

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Burgasser, Adam J.; Bochanski, John J.; Looper, Dagny L.; West, Andrew A.; Van der Bliek, Nicole S.

2011-01-01

We report our discovery of NLTT 20346 as an M5+M6 companion system to the tight binary (or triple) L dwarf 2MASS J0850359+105716. This nearby (∼31 pc), widely separated (∼7700 AU) quadruple system was identified through a cross-match of proper motion catalogs. Follow-up imaging and spectroscopy of NLTT 20346 revealed it to be a magnetically active M5+M6 binary with components separated by ∼2'' (50-80 AU). Optical spectroscopy of the components shows only moderate Hα emission corresponding to a statistical age of ∼5-7 Gyr for both M dwarfs. However, NLTT 20346 is associated with the XMM-Newton source J085018.9+105644, and based on X-ray activity the age of NLTT 20346 is between 250 and 450 Myr. Strong Li absorption in the optical spectrum of 2MASS J0850+1057 indicates an upper age limit of 0.8-1.5 Gyr, favoring the younger age for the primary. Using evolutionary models in combination with an adopted system age of 0.25-1.5 Gyr indicates a total mass for 2MASS J0850+1057 of 0.07 ± 0.02 M sun , if it is a binary. NLTT 20346/2MASS J0850+1057 joins a growing list of hierarchical systems containing brown dwarf binaries and is among the lowest binding energy associations found in the field. Formation simulations via gravitational fragmentation of massive extended disks have successfully produced a specific analog to this system.

THE SEARCH FOR PLANETARY MASS COMPANIONS TO FIELD BROWN DWARFS WITH HST/NICMOS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stumpf, M. B.; Brandner, W.; Joergens, V.; Henning, Th.; Bouy, H.; Koehler, R.; Kasper, M.

2010-01-01

We present the results of a high-resolution spectral differential imaging survey of 12 nearby, relatively young field L dwarfs (≤1 Gyr) carried out with the Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS to search for planetary mass companions at small physical separations from their host. The survey resolved two brown dwarf binaries: the L dwarf system Kelu-1 AB and the newly discovered L/T transition system 2MASS 031059+164815 AB. For both systems, common proper motion has already been confirmed in follow-up observations which have been published elsewhere. The derived separations of the binaries are smaller than 6 AU and consistent with previous brown dwarf binary statistics. Their mass ratios of q ≥ 0.8 confirm the preference for equal-mass systems similar to a large number of other surveys. Furthermore, we found tentative evidence for a companion to the L4 dwarf 2MASSW 033703-175807, straddling the brown dwarf/planetary mass boundary and revealing an uncommonly low-mass ratio system (q ∼ 0.2) compared to the vast majority of previously found brown dwarf binaries. With a derived minimum mass of 10-15 M Jup a planetary nature of the secondary cannot be ruled out yet. However, it seems more likely to be a very low mass brown dwarf secondary at the border of the spectral T/Y transition regime, primarily due to its similarities to recently found very cool T dwarfs. This would make it one of the closest resolved brown dwarf binaries (0.''087 ± 0.''015, corresponding to 2.52 ± 0.44 AU at a distance of 29 pc) with the coolest (T eff ∼ 600-630 K) and least massive companion to any L or T dwarf.

SPITZER SPECTROSCOPY OF THE CIRCUMPRIMARY DISK IN THE BINARY BROWN DWARF 2MASS J04414489+2301513

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adame, Lucia; Calvet, Nuria; McClure, M. K.; Hartmann, Lee; Luhman, K. L.; D'Alessio, Paola; Furlan, Elise; Forrest, William J.; Watson, Dan M.

2011-01-01

Using the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph, we have performed mid-infrared spectroscopy on the young binary brown dwarf 2MASS J04414489+2301513 (15 AU) in the Taurus star-forming region. The spectrum exhibits excess continuum emission that likely arises from a circumstellar disk around the primary. Silicate emission is not detected in these data, indicating the presence of significant grain growth. This is one of the few brown dwarf disks at such a young age (∼1 Myr) that has been found to lack silicate emission. To quantitatively constrain the properties of the disk, we have compared the spectral energy distribution of 2MASS J04414489+2301513 to the predictions of our vertical structure codes for irradiated accretion disks. Our models suggest that the remaining atmospheric grains of moderately depleted layers may have grown to a size of ∼>5 μm. In addition, our model fits indicate an outer radius of 0.2-0.3 AU for the disk. The small size of this circumprimary disk could be due to truncation by the secondary. The absence of an outer disk containing a reservoir of small, primordial grains, combined with a weak turbulent mechanism, may be responsible for the advanced grain growth in this disk.

An Extremely Red and Two Other Nearby L Dwarf Candidates Previously Overlooked in 2MASS, WISE, and Other Surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Scholz, Ralf-Dieter; Bell, Cameron P. M.

2018-02-01

We present three new nearby L dwarf candidates, found in a continued combined color/proper motion search using WISE, 2MASS, and other survey data, where we included extended WISE sources and looked closer to the Galactic plane region. Their spectral types and distances were estimated from photometric comparisons to well-known L dwarfs with trigonometric parallaxes. The first object, 2MASS J07555430-3259589, is an extremely red L7.5p dwarf candidate at a photometric distance of about 16 pc. Its position, proper motion and distance are consistent with membership in the Carina-Near young moving group. The second one, 2MASS J07414279-0506464, is resolved in Gaia DR1 as a close binary (separation 0.3 arcsec), and we classify it as a equal-mass binary candidate consisting of two L5 dwarfs at 19 pc. Our nearest new neighbor, 2MASS J19251275+0700362, is an L7 dwarf candidate at 10 pc.

THE CLOSE BINARY FRACTION OF DWARF M STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, Benjamin M.; Blake, Cullen H.; Knapp, Gillian R.

2012-01-01

We describe a search for close spectroscopic dwarf M star binaries using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to address the question of the rate of occurrence of multiplicity in M dwarfs. We use a template-fitting technique to measure radial velocities from 145,888 individual spectra obtained for a magnitude-limited sample of 39,543 M dwarfs. Typically, the three or four spectra observed for each star are separated in time by less than four hours, but for ∼17% of the stars, the individual observations span more than two days. In these cases we are sensitive to large-amplitude radial velocity variations on timescales comparable to the separation between the observations. We use a control sample of objects having observations taken within a four-hour period to make an empirical estimate of the underlying radial velocity error distribution and simulate our detection efficiency for a wide range of binary star systems. We find the frequency of binaries among the dwarf M stars with a < 0.4 AU to be 3%-4%. Comparison with other samples of binary stars demonstrates that the close binary fraction, like the total binary fraction, is an increasing function of primary mass.

THE CLOSE BINARY FRACTION OF DWARF M STARS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, Benjamin M. [Penn Manor High School, 100 East Cottage Avenue, Millersville, PA 17551 (United States); Blake, Cullen H.; Knapp, Gillian R. [Princeton University, Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Peyton Hall, Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2012-01-10

We describe a search for close spectroscopic dwarf M star binaries using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to address the question of the rate of occurrence of multiplicity in M dwarfs. We use a template-fitting technique to measure radial velocities from 145,888 individual spectra obtained for a magnitude-limited sample of 39,543 M dwarfs. Typically, the three or four spectra observed for each star are separated in time by less than four hours, but for {approx}17% of the stars, the individual observations span more than two days. In these cases we are sensitive to large-amplitude radial velocity variations on timescales comparable to the separation between the observations. We use a control sample of objects having observations taken within a four-hour period to make an empirical estimate of the underlying radial velocity error distribution and simulate our detection efficiency for a wide range of binary star systems. We find the frequency of binaries among the dwarf M stars with a < 0.4 AU to be 3%-4%. Comparison with other samples of binary stars demonstrates that the close binary fraction, like the total binary fraction, is an increasing function of primary mass.

SpeX Spectroscopy of Unresolved Very Low-Mass Binaries. I. Identification of Seventeen Candidate Binaries Straddling the L Dwarf/T Dwarf Transition

OpenAIRE

Burgasser, Adam J.; Cruz, Kelle L.; Cushing, Michael C.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Looper, Dagny L.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Reid, I. Neill

2009-01-01

We report the identification of 17 candidate brown dwarf binaries whose components straddle the L dwarf/T dwarf transition. These sources were culled from a large near-infrared spectral sample of L and T dwarfs observed with the Infrared Telescope Facility SpeX spectrograph. Candidates were selected on the basis of spectral ratios which segregate known (resolved) L dwarf/T dwarf pairs from presumably single sources. Composite templates, constructed by combining 13581 pairs of absolute flux-ca...

WHITE-DWARF-MAIN-SEQUENCE BINARIES IDENTIFIED FROM THE LAMOST PILOT SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Juanjuan; Luo Ali; Li Yinbi; Wei Peng; Zhao Jingkun; Zhao Yongheng; Song Yihan; Zhao Gang

2013-01-01

We present a set of white-dwarf-main-sequence (WDMS) binaries identified spectroscopically from the Large sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST, also called the Guo Shou Jing Telescope) pilot survey. We develop a color selection criteria based on what is so far the largest and most complete Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7 WDMS binary catalog and identify 28 WDMS binaries within the LAMOST pilot survey. The primaries in our binary sample are mostly DA white dwarfs except for one DB white dwarf. We derive the stellar atmospheric parameters, masses, and radii for the two components of 10 of our binaries. We also provide cooling ages for the white dwarf primaries as well as the spectral types for the companion stars of these 10 WDMS binaries. These binaries tend to contain hot white dwarfs and early-type companions. Through cross-identification, we note that nine binaries in our sample have been published in the SDSS DR7 WDMS binary catalog. Nineteen spectroscopic WDMS binaries identified by the LAMOST pilot survey are new. Using the 3σ radial velocity variation as a criterion, we find two post-common-envelope binary candidates from our WDMS binary sample

SEARCHING FOR BINARY Y DWARFS WITH THE GEMINI MULTI-CONJUGATE ADAPTIVE OPTICS SYSTEM (GeMS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Opitz, Daniela; Tinney, C. G.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Sweet, Sarah; Gelino, Christopher R.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy

2016-01-01

The NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has discovered almost all the known members of the new class of Y-type brown dwarfs. Most of these Y dwarfs have been identified as isolated objects in the field. It is known that binaries with L- and T-type brown dwarf primaries are less prevalent than either M-dwarf or solar-type primaries, they tend to have smaller separations and are more frequently detected in near-equal mass configurations. The binary statistics for Y-type brown dwarfs, however, are sparse, and so it is unclear if the same trends that hold for L- and T-type brown dwarfs also hold for Y-type ones. In addition, the detection of binary companions to very cool Y dwarfs may well be the best means available for discovering even colder objects. We present results for binary properties of a sample of five WISE Y dwarfs with the Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics System. We find no evidence for binary companions in these data, which suggests these systems are not equal-luminosity (or equal-mass) binaries with separations larger than ∼0.5–1.9 AU. For equal-mass binaries at an age of 5 Gyr, we find that the binary binding energies ruled out by our observations (i.e., 10 42 erg) are consistent with those observed in previous studies of hotter ultra-cool dwarfs

Component masses of young, wide, non-magnetic white dwarf binaries in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7

Science.gov (United States)

Baxter, R. B.; Dobbie, P. D.; Parker, Q. A.; Casewell, S. L.; Lodieu, N.; Burleigh, M. R.; Lawrie, K. A.; Külebi, B.; Koester, D.; Holland, B. R.

2014-06-01

We present a spectroscopic component analysis of 18 candidate young, wide, non-magnetic, double-degenerate binaries identified from a search of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (DR7). All but two pairings are likely to be physical systems. We show SDSS J084952.47+471247.7 + SDSS J084952.87+471249.4 to be a wide DA + DB binary, only the second identified to date. Combining our measurements for the components of 16 new binaries with results for three similar, previously known systems within the DR7, we have constructed a mass distribution for the largest sample to date (38) of white dwarfs in young, wide, non-magnetic, double-degenerate pairings. This is broadly similar in form to that of the isolated field population with a substantial peak around M ˜ 0.6 M⊙. We identify an excess of ultramassive white dwarfs and attribute this to the primordial separation distribution of their progenitor systems peaking at relatively larger values and the greater expansion of their binary orbits during the final stages of stellar evolution. We exploit this mass distribution to probe the origins of unusual types of degenerates, confirming a mild preference for the progenitor systems of high-field-magnetic white dwarfs, at least within these binaries, to be associated with early-type stars. Additionally, we consider the 19 systems in the context of the stellar initial mass-final mass relation. None appear to be strongly discordant with current understanding of this relationship.

Fundmental Parameters of Low-Mass Stars, Brown Dwarfs, and Planets

Science.gov (United States)

Montet, Benjamin; Johnson, John A.; Bowler, Brendan; Shkolnik, Evgenya

2016-01-01

Despite advances in evolutionary models of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, these models remain poorly constrained by observations. In order to test these predictions directly, masses of individual stars must be measured and combined with broadband photometry and medium-resolution spectroscopy to probe stellar atmospheres. I will present results from an astrometric and spectroscopic survey of low-mass pre-main sequence binary stars to measure individual dynamical masses and compare to model predictions. This is the first systematic test of a large number of stellar systems of intermediate age between young star-forming regions and old field stars. Stars in our sample are members of the Tuc-Hor, AB Doradus, and beta Pictoris moving groups, the last of which includes GJ 3305 AB, the wide binary companion to the imaged exoplanet host 51 Eri. I will also present results of Spitzer observations of secondary eclipses of LHS 6343 C, a T dwarf transiting one member of an M+M binary in the Kepler field. By combining these data with Kepler photometry and radial velocity observations, we can measure the luminosity, mass, and radius of the brown dwarf. This is the first non-inflated brown dwarf for which all three of these parameters have been measured, providing the first benchmark to test model predictions of the masses and radii of field T dwarfs. I will discuss these results in the context of K2 and TESS, which will find additional benchmark transiting brown dwarfs over the course of their missions, including a description of the first planet catalog developed from K2 data and a program to search for transiting planets around mid-M dwarfs.

The population of single and binary white dwarfs of the Galactic bulge

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, S.; García-Berro, E.; Cojocaru, R.; Calamida, A.

2018-05-01

Recent Hubble Space Telescope observations have unveiled the white dwarf cooling sequence of the Galactic bulge. Although the degenerate sequence can be well fitted employing the most up-to-date theoretical cooling sequences, observations show a systematic excess of red objects that cannot be explained by the theoretical models of single carbon-oxygen white dwarfs of the appropriate masses. Here, we present a population synthesis study of the white dwarf cooling sequence of the Galactic bulge that takes into account the populations of both single white dwarfs and binary systems containing at least one white dwarf. These calculations incorporate state-of-the-art cooling sequences for white dwarfs with hydrogen-rich and hydrogen-deficient atmospheres, for both white dwarfs with carbon-oxygen and helium cores, and also take into account detailed prescriptions of the evolutionary history of binary systems. Our Monte Carlo simulator also incorporates all the known observational biases. This allows us to model with a high degree of realism the white dwarf population of the Galactic bulge. We find that the observed excess of red stars can be partially attributed to white dwarf plus main sequence binaries, and to cataclysmic variables or dwarf novae. Our best fit is obtained with a higher binary fraction and an initial mass function slope steeper than standard values, as well as with the inclusion of differential reddening and blending. Our results also show that the possible contribution of double degenerate systems or young and thick-discbulge stars is negligible.

Formation of Extremely Low-mass White Dwarf Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, M.; Arras, P.

2018-05-01

Motivated by the discovery of several pulsating, extremely low-mass white dwarfs (ELM WDs, mass M ≲ 0.18 M ⊙) that likely have WD companions, this paper discusses binary formation models for these systems. ELM WDs are formed using angular momentum losses by magnetic braking. Evolutionary models are constructed using the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), with ELM WD progenitors in the range 1.0 ≲ M d/M ⊙ ≲ 1.5 and WD companions in the range 0.4 ≲ M a/M ⊙ ≲ 0.9. A prescription to reduce magnetic braking for thin surface convection zones is included. Upon the thinning of the evolved donor envelope, the donor star shrinks out of contact and mass transfer (MT) ceases, revealing the ELM WD. Systems with low masses have previously been suggested as possible AM CVNs. Systems with high masses, up to the limit M ≃ 0.18 M ⊙ at which shell flashes occur on the WD cooling track, tend to expand out to orbital periods P orb ≳ 15 hr. In between this range, ELM WDs may become pulsators both as pre-WDs and on the WD cooling track. Brickhill’s criterion for convective mode driving is used to estimate the location of the blue edge of the g-mode instability strip. In the appendix, we show that the formation of an ELM WD by unstable MT or a common-envelope event is unlikely. Stable Roche-lobe overflow with conservative MT produces only M ≳ 0.2 M ⊙.

A radio-pulsing white dwarf binary star.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, T R; Gänsicke, B T; Hümmerich, S; Hambsch, F-J; Bernhard, K; Lloyd, C; Breedt, E; Stanway, E R; Steeghs, D T; Parsons, S G; Toloza, O; Schreiber, M R; Jonker, P G; van Roestel, J; Kupfer, T; Pala, A F; Dhillon, V S; Hardy, L K; Littlefair, S P; Aungwerojwit, A; Arjyotha, S; Koester, D; Bochinski, J J; Haswell, C A; Frank, P; Wheatley, P J

2016-09-15

White dwarfs are compact stars, similar in size to Earth but approximately 200,000 times more massive. Isolated white dwarfs emit most of their power from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths, but when in close orbits with less dense stars, white dwarfs can strip material from their companions and the resulting mass transfer can generate atomic line and X-ray emission, as well as near- and mid-infrared radiation if the white dwarf is magnetic. However, even in binaries, white dwarfs are rarely detected at far-infrared or radio frequencies. Here we report the discovery of a white dwarf/cool star binary that emits from X-ray to radio wavelengths. The star, AR Scorpii (henceforth AR Sco), was classified in the early 1970s as a δ-Scuti star, a common variety of periodic variable star. Our observations reveal instead a 3.56-hour period close binary, pulsing in brightness on a period of 1.97 minutes. The pulses are so intense that AR Sco's optical flux can increase by a factor of four within 30 seconds, and they are also detectable at radio frequencies. They reflect the spin of a magnetic white dwarf, which we find to be slowing down on a 10 7 -year timescale. The spin-down power is an order of magnitude larger than that seen in electromagnetic radiation, which, together with an absence of obvious signs of accretion, suggests that AR Sco is primarily spin-powered. Although the pulsations are driven by the white dwarf's spin, they mainly originate from the cool star. AR Sco's broadband spectrum is characteristic of synchrotron radiation, requiring relativistic electrons. These must either originate from near the white dwarf or be generated in situ at the M star through direct interaction with the white dwarf's magnetosphere.

ORBITAL EVOLUTION OF COMPACT WHITE DWARF BINARIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaplan, David L. [Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211 (United States); Bildsten, Lars [Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics, Kohn Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Steinfadt, Justin D. R., E-mail: kaplan@uwm.edu, E-mail: bildsten@kitp.ucsb.edu, E-mail: jdrsteinfadt@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Broida Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)

2012-10-10

The newfound prevalence of extremely low mass (ELM, M{sub He} < 0.2 M{sub Sun }) helium white dwarfs (WDs) in tight binaries with more massive WDs has raised our interest in understanding the nature of their mass transfer. Possessing small (M{sub env} {approx} 10{sup -3} M{sub Sun }) but thick hydrogen envelopes, these objects have larger radii than cold WDs and so initiate mass transfer of H-rich material at orbital periods of 6-10 minutes. Building on the original work of D'Antona et al., we confirm the 10{sup 6} yr period of continued inspiral with mass transfer of H-rich matter and highlight the fact that the inspiraling direct-impact double WD binary HM Cancri likely has an ELM WD donor. The ELM WDs have less of a radius expansion under mass loss, thus enabling a larger range of donor masses that can stably transfer matter and become a He mass transferring AM CVn binary. Even once in the long-lived AM CVn mass transferring stage, these He WDs have larger radii due to their higher entropy from the prolonged H-burning stage.

ACCURATE MASSES FOR THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY IN THE ECLIPSING WHITE DWARF BINARY NLTT 11748

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilic, Mukremin; Brown, Warren R.; Kenyon, S. J.; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Agueeros, M. A.; Camilo, Fernando

2010-01-01

We measure the radial velocity curve of the eclipsing detached white dwarf binary NLTT 11748. The primary exhibits velocity variations with a semi-amplitude of 273 km s -1 and an orbital period of 5.641 hr. We do not detect any spectral features from the secondary star or any spectral changes during the secondary eclipse. We use our composite spectrum to constrain the temperature and surface gravity of the primary to be T eff = 8690 ± 140 K and log g = 6.54 ± 0.05, which correspond to a mass of 0.18 M sun . For an inclination angle of 89. 0 9 derived from the eclipse modeling, the mass function requires a 0.76 M sun companion. The merger time for the system is 7.2 Gyr. However, due to the extreme mass ratio of 0.24, the binary will most likely create an AM CVn system instead of a merger.

Tidal interaction and coalescence of close binary white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webbink, R.F.; Iben, I. Jr.

1987-01-01

The physical processes which govern the interaction and final coalescence of close binary white dwarfs are examined. During the approach to mass transfer, the rate of accumulation of rotational energy by a white dwarf can exceed 10 to the 37th erg/s, raising the possibility that the initial phases of mass transfer are strongly influenced by tidal heating of the donor star. The potential energy released by accretion is incapable of removing more than a minor fraction of this material from the system, and numerical simulations show that the accreted envelope engulfs the donor star, leading to formation of common envelope binary before carbon can be ignited at the base of the accreted envelope. Unless shocks can lift the degeneracy of the donor core, a core mass exceeding the Chandrasekhar limit can be created, leading directly to core collapse and a supernova explosion, regardless of whether or not carbon is ignited in the nondegenerate envelope. It is plausible that most of the mass of the donor white dwarf is assimilated in a degenerate state by the accretor. 32 references

Dynamical Masses of Cool White Dwarfs in Double-Degenerate Visual Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Howard E.; Nelan, E. P.; Schaefer, G.

2014-01-01

The cool white dwarfs (WDs) WD 1639+153 and WD 1818+126 were originally resolved into close visual binaries containing two WDs each during a survey with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and its Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS). Follow up FGS observations of these two double-degenerate (DD) systems, along with the previously known DD G 107-70, have yielded the orbital elements of all three visual binaries. We find orbital periods of 3.88 yr, 12.19 yr, and 18.84 yr for WD 1639+153, WD 1818+126, and G 107-70, respectively. Moreover, for each of the systems we have been observing nearby field stars with FGS1r in POS mode to determine the local inertial reference frame, from which we obtain the parallax and proper motion of the DD, along with the motion of each WD about its system barycenter. This leads directly to a dynamical mass for each WD. We have also used HST STIS observations to obtain individual spectra of each of the six WDs, which provide the effective temperature and subclass of each WD. This provides insight into the cooling age of each star. From the cooling ages and dynamical masses, we obtain constraints on the initial-mass/final-mass relation for WD stars.

ENERGY DISSIPATION THROUGH QUASI-STATIC TIDES IN WHITE DWARF BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willems, B.; Deloye, C. J.; Kalogera, V.

2010-01-01

We present a formalism to study tidal interactions in white dwarf binaries in the limiting case of quasi-static tides, in which the tidal forcing frequencies are small, compared to the inverse of the white dwarf's dynamical timescale. The formalism is valid for arbitrary orbital eccentricities and therefore applicable to white dwarf binaries in the Galactic disk as well as globular clusters. In the quasi-static limit, the total perturbation of the gravitational potential shows a phase shift with respect to the position of the companion, the magnitude of which is determined primarily by the efficiency of energy dissipation through convective damping. We determine rates of secular evolution of the orbital elements and white dwarf rotational angular velocity for a 0.3 M sun helium white dwarf in binaries with orbital frequencies in the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) gravitational wave frequency band and companion masses ranging from 0.3 M sun to 10 5 M sun . The resulting tidal evolution timescales for the orbital semimajor axis are longer than a Hubble time, so that convective damping of quasi-static tides need not be considered in the construction of gravitational wave templates of white dwarf binaries in the LISA band. Spin-up of the white dwarf, on the other hand, can occur on timescales of less than 10 Myr, provided that the white dwarf is initially rotating with a frequency much smaller than the orbital frequency. For semi-detached white dwarf binaries spin-up can occur on timescales of less than 1 Myr. Nevertheless, the timescales remain longer than the orbital inspiral timescales due to gravitational radiation, so that the degree of asynchronism in these binaries increases. As a consequence, tidal forcing eventually occurs at forcing frequencies beyond the quasi-static tide approximation. For the shortest period binaries, energy dissipation is therefore expected to take place through dynamic tides and resonantly excited g-modes.

Using White Dwarf Companions of Blue Stragglers to Constrain Mass Transfer Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Gosnell, Natalie M.; Leiner, Emily; Geller, Aaron M.; Knigge, Christian; Mathieu, Robert D.; Sills, Alison; Leigh, Nathan

2018-06-01

Complete membership studies of old open clusters reveal that 25% of the evolved stars follow pathways in stellar evolution that are impacted by binary evolution. Recent studies show that the majority of blue straggler stars, traditionally defined to be stars brighter and bluer than the corresponding main sequence turnoff, are formed through mass transfer from a giant star onto a main sequence companion, resulting in a white dwarf in a binary system with a blue straggler. We will present constraints on the histories and mass transfer efficiencies for two blue straggler-white dwarf binaries in open cluster NGC 188. The constraints are a result of measuring white dwarf cooling temperatures and surface gravities with HST COS far-ultraviolet spectroscopy. This information sets both the timeline for mass transfer and the stellar masses in the pre-mass transfer binary, allowing us to constrain aspects of the mass transfer physics. One system is formed through Case C mass transfer, leaving a CO-core white dwarf, and provides an interesting test case for mass transfer from an asymptotic giant branch star in an eccentric system. The other system formed through Case B mass transfer, leaving a He-core white dwarf, and challenges our current understanding of the expected regimes for stable mass transfer from red giant branch stars.

White dwarf-main sequence binaries from LAMOST: the DR5 catalogue

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, J.-J.; Rebassa-Mansergas, A.; Parsons, S. G.; Liu, X.-W.; Luo, A.-L.; Kong, X.; Zhang, H.-T.

2018-03-01

We present the data release (DR) 5 catalogue of white dwarf-main sequence (WDMS) binaries from the Large Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST). The catalogue contains 876 WDMS binaries, of which 757 are additions to our previous LAMOST DR1 sample and 357 are systems that have not been published before. We also describe a LAMOST-dedicated survey that aims at obtaining spectra of photometrically-selected WDMS binaries from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) that are expected to contain cool white dwarfs and/or early type M dwarf companions. This is a population under-represented in previous SDSS WDMS binary catalogues. We determine the stellar parameters (white dwarf effective temperatures, surface gravities and masses, and M dwarf spectral types) of the LAMOST DR5 WDMS binaries and make use of the parameter distributions to analyse the properties of the sample. We find that, despite our efforts, systems containing cool white dwarfs remain under-represented. Moreover, we make use of LAMOST DR5 and SDSS DR14 (when available) spectra to measure the Na I λλ 8183.27, 8194.81 absorption doublet and/or Hα emission radial velocities of our systems. This allows identifying 128 binaries displaying significant radial velocity variations, 76 of which are new. Finally, we cross-match our catalogue with the Catalina Surveys and identify 57 systems displaying light curve variations. These include 16 eclipsing systems, two of which are new, and nine binaries that are new eclipsing candidates. We calculate periodograms from the photometric data and measure (estimate) the orbital periods of 30 (15) WDMS binaries.

SDSS J001641-000925: THE FIRST STABLE RED DWARF CONTACT BINARY WITH A CLOSE-IN STELLAR COMPANION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qian, S.-B.; Jiang, L.-Q.; Zhu, L.-Y.; Zhao, E. G.; He, J.-J.; Liao, W.-P.; Wang, J.-J.; Liu, L.; Zhou, X.; Liu, N. P. [Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), P.O. Box 110, 650011 Kunming (China); Fernández Lajús, E. [Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Soonthornthum, B.; Rattanasoon, S.; Aukkaravittayapun, S., E-mail: qsb@ynao.ac.cn [National Astronomical Research Insititude of Thailand, 191 Siriphanich Bldg., Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand)

2015-01-10

SDSS J001641-000925 is the first red dwarf contact binary star with an orbital period of 0.19856 days that is one of the shortest known periods among M-dwarf binary systems. The orbital period was detected to be decreasing rapidly at a rate of P-dot ∼8 s yr{sup −1}. This indicated that SDSS J001641-000925 was undergoing coalescence via a dynamical mass transfer or loss and thus this red dwarf contact binary is dynamically unstable. To understand the properties of the period change, we monitored the binary system photometrically from 2011 September 2 to 2014 October 1 by using several telescopes in the world and 25 eclipse times were determined. It is discovered that the rapid decrease of the orbital period is not true. This is contrary to the prediction that the system is merging driven by rapid mass transfer or loss. Our preliminary analysis suggests that the observed minus calculated (O–C) diagram shows a cyclic oscillation with an amplitude of 0.00255 days and a period of 5.7 yr. The cyclic variation can be explained by the light travel time effect via the presence of a cool stellar companion with a mass of M {sub 3}sin i' ∼ 0.14 M {sub ☉}. The orbital separation between the third body and the central binary is about 2.8 AU. These results reveal that the rarity of red dwarf contact binaries could not be explained by rapidly dynamical destruction and the presence of the third body helps to form the red dwarf contact binary.

Accreting Double White Dwarf Binaries: Implications for LISA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kremer, Kyle; Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane L.; Kalogera, Vassiliki

2017-01-01

We explore the long-term evolution of mass-transferring white dwarf (WD) binaries undergoing both direct-impact and disk accretion and explore implications of such systems to gravitational-wave (GW) astronomy. We cover a broad range of initial component masses and show that these systems, the majority of which lie within the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna ( LISA ) sensitivity range, exhibit prominent negative orbital frequency evolution (chirp) for a significant fraction of their lifetimes. Using a galactic population synthesis, we predict ∼2700 of these systems will be observable with a negative chirp of 0.1 yr −2 by a space-based GW detector like LISA . We also show that detections of mass-transferring double WD systems by LISA may provide astronomers with unique ways of probing the physics governing close compact object binaries.

Accreting Double White Dwarf Binaries: Implications for LISA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kremer, Kyle; Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane L.; Kalogera, Vassiliki, E-mail: kremer@u.northwestern.edu, E-mail: katelyn.breivik@northwestern.edu, E-mail: vicky@northwestern.edu, E-mail: s.larson@northwestern.edu [Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60201 (United States)

2017-09-10

We explore the long-term evolution of mass-transferring white dwarf (WD) binaries undergoing both direct-impact and disk accretion and explore implications of such systems to gravitational-wave (GW) astronomy. We cover a broad range of initial component masses and show that these systems, the majority of which lie within the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna ( LISA ) sensitivity range, exhibit prominent negative orbital frequency evolution (chirp) for a significant fraction of their lifetimes. Using a galactic population synthesis, we predict ∼2700 of these systems will be observable with a negative chirp of 0.1 yr{sup −2} by a space-based GW detector like LISA . We also show that detections of mass-transferring double WD systems by LISA may provide astronomers with unique ways of probing the physics governing close compact object binaries.

Accreting Double White Dwarf Binaries: Implications for LISA

Science.gov (United States)

Kremer, Kyle; Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane L.; Kalogera, Vassiliki

2017-09-01

We explore the long-term evolution of mass-transferring white dwarf (WD) binaries undergoing both direct-impact and disk accretion and explore implications of such systems to gravitational-wave (GW) astronomy. We cover a broad range of initial component masses and show that these systems, the majority of which lie within the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) sensitivity range, exhibit prominent negative orbital frequency evolution (chirp) for a significant fraction of their lifetimes. Using a galactic population synthesis, we predict ˜2700 of these systems will be observable with a negative chirp of 0.1 yr-2 by a space-based GW detector like LISA. We also show that detections of mass-transferring double WD systems by LISA may provide astronomers with unique ways of probing the physics governing close compact object binaries.

THE VERY SHORT PERIOD M DWARF BINARY SDSS J001641-000925

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davenport, James R. A.; Becker, Andrew C.; Hawley, Suzanne L.; Gunning, Heather C.; Munshi, Ferah A.; Albright, Meagan [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); West, Andrew A. [Astronomy Department, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Bochanski, John J. [Astronomy and Astrophysics Department, Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Holtzman, Jon [Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University, Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States); Hilton, Eric J., E-mail: jrad@astro.washington.edu [Department of Geology and Geophysics and Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States)

2013-02-10

We present follow-up observations and analysis of the recently discovered short period low-mass eclipsing binary, SDSS J001641-000925. With an orbital period of 0.19856 days, this system has one of the shortest known periods for an M dwarf binary system. Medium-resolution spectroscopy and multi-band photometry for the system are presented. Markov Chain Monte Carlo modeling of the light curves and radial velocities yields estimated masses for the stars of M {sub 1} = 0.54 {+-} 0.07 M {sub Sun} and M {sub 2} = 0.34 {+-} 0.04 M {sub Sun }, and radii of R {sub 1} = 0.68 {+-} 0.03 R {sub Sun} and R {sub 2} = 0.58 {+-} 0.03 R {sub Sun }, respectively. This solution places both components above the critical Roche overfill limit, providing strong evidence that SDSS J001641-000925 is the first verified M-dwarf contact binary system. Within the follow-up spectroscopy we find signatures of non-solid body rotation velocities, which we interpret as evidence for mass transfer or loss within the system. In addition, our photometry samples the system over nine years, and we find strong evidence for period decay at the rate of P-dot {approx} 8 s yr{sup -1}. Both of these signatures raise the intriguing possibility that the system is in over-contact, and actively losing angular momentum, likely through mass loss. This places SDSS J001641-000925 as not just the first M-dwarf over-contact binary, but one of the few systems of any spectral type known to be actively undergoing coalescence. Further study of SDSS J001641-000925 is ongoing to verify the nature of the system, which may prove to be a unique astrophysical laboratory.

On the masses of the white dwarfs in cataclysmic variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livio, M.; Soker, N.

1984-01-01

The question of the masses of the white dwarfs in cataclysmic binaries is examined. It is shown that selection effects can explain an overabundance of massive white dwarfs in novae but not in dwarf novae. It is proposed that the spiralling-in process in the common envelope favours the formation of more massive white dwarfs A number of simplified spiralling-in calculations are performed. The calculations demonstrate that the probability of coalescence of the secondary with the primary core, or secondary dissipation, is higher in the case of a giant envelope than in the case of a super giant envelope. Consequently, binaries with primary core masses greater than approx. 0.7 Msolar masses (and thus massive white dwarf remnants), have a better chance of surviving common envelope evolution and are therefore better candidates for the formation of cataclysmic variables. (author)

A New Stellar Outburst Associated with the Magnetic Activities of the K-type Dwarf in a White Dwarf Binary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qian, S.-B.; Han, Z.-T.; Zhang, B.; Zhu, L.-Y.; Zhao, E.-G.; Liao, W.-P.; Tian, X.-M.; Wang, Z.-H. [Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), P.O. Box 110, 650011 Kunming (China); Zejda, M. [Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-611 37 Brno (Czech Republic); Michel, R., E-mail: qsb@ynao.ac.cn [Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ensenada, Baja California, México (Mexico)

2017-10-20

1SWASP J162117.36+441254.2 was originally classified as an EW-type binary with a period of 0.20785 days. However, it was detected to have undergone a stellar outburst on 2016 June 3. Although the system was later classified as a cataclysmic variable (CV) and the event was attributed as a dwarf nova outburst, the physical reason is still unknown. This binary has been monitored photometrically since 2016 April 19, and many light curves were obtained before, during, and after the outburst. Those light and color curves observed before the outburst indicate that the system is a special CV. The white dwarf is not accreting material from the secondary and there are no accretion disks surrounding the white dwarf. By comparing the light curves obtained from 2016 April 19 to those from September 14, it was found that magnetic activity of the secondary is associated with the outburst. We show strong evidence that the L {sub 1} region on the secondary was heavily spotted before and after the outburst and thus quench the mass transfer, while the outburst is produced by a sudden mass accretion of the white dwarf. These results suggest that J162117 is a good astrophysical laboratory to study stellar magnetic activity and its influences on CV mass transfer and mass accretion.

A New Stellar Outburst Associated with the Magnetic Activities of the K-type Dwarf in a White Dwarf Binary

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, S.-B.; Han, Z.-T.; Zhang, B.; Zejda, M.; Michel, R.; Zhu, L.-Y.; Zhao, E.-G.; Liao, W.-P.; Tian, X.-M.; Wang, Z.-H.

2017-10-01

1SWASP J162117.36+441254.2 was originally classified as an EW-type binary with a period of 0.20785 days. However, it was detected to have undergone a stellar outburst on 2016 June 3. Although the system was later classified as a cataclysmic variable (CV) and the event was attributed as a dwarf nova outburst, the physical reason is still unknown. This binary has been monitored photometrically since 2016 April 19, and many light curves were obtained before, during, and after the outburst. Those light and color curves observed before the outburst indicate that the system is a special CV. The white dwarf is not accreting material from the secondary and there are no accretion disks surrounding the white dwarf. By comparing the light curves obtained from 2016 April 19 to those from September 14, it was found that magnetic activity of the secondary is associated with the outburst. We show strong evidence that the L 1 region on the secondary was heavily spotted before and after the outburst and thus quench the mass transfer, while the outburst is produced by a sudden mass accretion of the white dwarf. These results suggest that J162117 is a good astrophysical laboratory to study stellar magnetic activity and its influences on CV mass transfer and mass accretion.

A New Stellar Outburst Associated with the Magnetic Activities of the K-type Dwarf in a White Dwarf Binary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian, S.-B.; Han, Z.-T.; Zhang, B.; Zhu, L.-Y.; Zhao, E.-G.; Liao, W.-P.; Tian, X.-M.; Wang, Z.-H.; Zejda, M.; Michel, R.

2017-01-01

1SWASP J162117.36+441254.2 was originally classified as an EW-type binary with a period of 0.20785 days. However, it was detected to have undergone a stellar outburst on 2016 June 3. Although the system was later classified as a cataclysmic variable (CV) and the event was attributed as a dwarf nova outburst, the physical reason is still unknown. This binary has been monitored photometrically since 2016 April 19, and many light curves were obtained before, during, and after the outburst. Those light and color curves observed before the outburst indicate that the system is a special CV. The white dwarf is not accreting material from the secondary and there are no accretion disks surrounding the white dwarf. By comparing the light curves obtained from 2016 April 19 to those from September 14, it was found that magnetic activity of the secondary is associated with the outburst. We show strong evidence that the L 1 region on the secondary was heavily spotted before and after the outburst and thus quench the mass transfer, while the outburst is produced by a sudden mass accretion of the white dwarf. These results suggest that J162117 is a good astrophysical laboratory to study stellar magnetic activity and its influences on CV mass transfer and mass accretion.

The critical binary star separation for a planetary system origin of white dwarf pollution

Science.gov (United States)

Veras, Dimitri; Xu, Siyi; Rebassa-Mansergas, Alberto

2018-01-01

The atmospheres of between one quarter and one half of observed single white dwarfs in the Milky Way contain heavy element pollution from planetary debris. The pollution observed in white dwarfs in binary star systems is, however, less clear, because companion star winds can generate a stream of matter which is accreted by the white dwarf. Here, we (i) discuss the necessity or lack thereof of a major planet in order to pollute a white dwarf with orbiting minor planets in both single and binary systems, and (ii) determine the critical binary separation beyond which the accretion source is from a planetary system. We hence obtain user-friendly functions relating this distance to the masses and radii of both stars, the companion wind, and the accretion rate on to the white dwarf, for a wide variety of published accretion prescriptions. We find that for the majority of white dwarfs in known binaries, if pollution is detected, then that pollution should originate from planetary material.

The binary white dwarf LHS 3236

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harris, Hugh C.; Dahn, Conard C.; Canzian, Blaise; Guetter, Harry H.; Levine, Stephen E.; Luginbuhl, Christian B.; Monet, Alice K. B.; Stone, Ronald C.; Subasavage, John P.; Tilleman, Trudy; Walker, Richard L. [US Naval Observatory, 10391 West Naval Observatory Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001-8521 (United States); Dupuy, Trent J.; Liu, Michael C. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Hartkopf, William I. [US Naval Observatory, 3450 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20392-5420 (United States); Ireland, Michael J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University, New South Wales, NSW 2109 (Australia); Leggett, S. K., E-mail: hch@nofs.navy.mil [Gemini Observatory, 670 N. Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)

2013-12-10

The white dwarf LHS 3236 (WD1639+153) is shown to be a double-degenerate binary, with each component having a high mass. Astrometry at the U.S. Naval Observatory gives a parallax and distance of 30.86 ± 0.25 pc and a tangential velocity of 98 km s{sup –1}, and reveals binary orbital motion. The orbital parameters are determined from astrometry of the photocenter over more than three orbits of the 4.0 yr period. High-resolution imaging at the Keck Observatory resolves the pair with a separation of 31 and 124 mas at two epochs. Optical and near-IR photometry give a set of possible binary components. Consistency of all data indicates that the binary is a pair of DA stars with temperatures near 8000 and 7400 K and with masses of 0.93 and 0.91 M {sub ☉}; also possible is a DA primary and a helium DC secondary with temperatures near 8800 and 6000 K and with masses of 0.98 and 0.69 M {sub ☉}. In either case, the cooling ages of the stars are ∼3 Gyr and the total ages are <4 Gyr. The combined mass of the binary (1.66-1.84 M {sub ☉}) is well above the Chandrasekhar limit; however, the timescale for coalescence is long.

Low-mass Pre-He White Dwarf Stars in Kepler Eclipsing Binaries with Multi-periodic Pulsations

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, X. B.; Fu, J. N.; Liu, N.; Luo, C. Q.; Ren, A. B.

2017-12-01

We report the discovery of two thermally bloated low-mass pre-He white dwarfs (WDs) in two eclipsing binaries, KIC 10989032 and KIC 8087799. Based on the Kepler long-cadence photometry, we determined comprehensive photometric solutions of the two binary systems. The light curve analysis reveals that KIC 10989032 is a partially eclipsed detached binary system containing a probable low-mass WD with the temperature of about 10,300 K. Having a WD with the temperature of about 13,300, KKIC 8087799 is typical of an EL CVn system. By utilizing radial velocity measurements available for the A-type primary star of KIC 10989032, the mass and radius of the WD component are determined to be 0.24+/- 0.02 {M}⊙ and 0.50+/- 0.01 {R}⊙ , respectively. The values of mass and radius of the WD in KIC 8087799 are estimated as 0.16 ± 0.02 M ⊙ and 0.21 ± 0.01 R ⊙, respectively, according to the effective temperature and mean density of the A-type star derived from the photometric solution. We therefore introduce KIC 10989032 and KIC 8087799 as the eleventh and twelfth dA+WD eclipsing binaries in the Kepler field. Moreover, both binaries display marked multi-periodic pulsations superimposed on binary effects. A preliminary frequency analysis is applied to the light residuals when subtracting the synthetic eclipsing light curves from the observations, revealing that the light pulsations of the two systems are both due to the δ Sct-type primaries. We hence classify KIC 10989032 and KIC 8087799 as two WD+δ Sct binaries.

THE ELM SURVEY. V. MERGING MASSIVE WHITE DWARF BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Warren R.; Kenyon, Scott J.; Kilic, Mukremin; Gianninas, A.; Allende Prieto, Carlos

2013-01-01

We present the discovery of 17 low-mass white dwarfs (WDs) in short-period (P ≤ 1 day) binaries. Our sample includes four objects with remarkable log g ≅ 5 surface gravities and orbital solutions that require them to be double degenerate binaries. All of the lowest surface gravity WDs have metal lines in their spectra implying long gravitational settling times or ongoing accretion. Notably, six of the WDs in our sample have binary merger times 0.9 M ☉ companions. If the companions are massive WDs, these four binaries will evolve into stable mass transfer AM CVn systems and possibly explode as underluminous supernovae. If the companions are neutron stars, then these may be millisecond pulsar binaries. These discoveries increase the number of detached, double degenerate binaries in the ELM Survey to 54; 31 of these binaries will merge within a Hubble time.

THE ELM SURVEY. V. MERGING MASSIVE WHITE DWARF BINARIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Warren R.; Kenyon, Scott J. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Kilic, Mukremin; Gianninas, A. [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, 440 W. Brooks St., Norman, OK, 73019 (United States); Allende Prieto, Carlos, E-mail: wbrown@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: skenyon@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: kilic@ou.edu, E-mail: alexg@nhn.ou.edu, E-mail: callende@iac.es [Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, E-38205, La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)

2013-05-20

We present the discovery of 17 low-mass white dwarfs (WDs) in short-period (P {<=} 1 day) binaries. Our sample includes four objects with remarkable log g {approx_equal} 5 surface gravities and orbital solutions that require them to be double degenerate binaries. All of the lowest surface gravity WDs have metal lines in their spectra implying long gravitational settling times or ongoing accretion. Notably, six of the WDs in our sample have binary merger times <10 Gyr. Four have {approx}>0.9 M{sub Sun} companions. If the companions are massive WDs, these four binaries will evolve into stable mass transfer AM CVn systems and possibly explode as underluminous supernovae. If the companions are neutron stars, then these may be millisecond pulsar binaries. These discoveries increase the number of detached, double degenerate binaries in the ELM Survey to 54; 31 of these binaries will merge within a Hubble time.

Properties of an eclipsing double white dwarf binary NLTT 11748

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaplan, David L.; Walker, Arielle N.; Marsh, Thomas R.; Bours, Madelon C. P.; Breedt, Elmé; Bildsten, Lars; Copperwheat, Chris M.; Dhillon, Vik S.; Littlefair, Stuart P.; Howell, Steve B.; Shporer, Avi; Steinfadt, Justin D. R.

2014-01-01

We present high-quality ULTRACAM photometry of the eclipsing detached double white dwarf binary NLTT 11748. This system consists of a carbon/oxygen white dwarf and an extremely low mass (<0.2 M ☉ ) helium-core white dwarf in a 5.6 hr orbit. To date, such extremely low-mass white dwarfs, which can have thin, stably burning outer layers, have been modeled via poorly constrained atmosphere and cooling calculations where uncertainties in the detailed structure can strongly influence the eventual fates of these systems when mass transfer begins. With precise (individual precision ≈1%), high-cadence (≈2 s), multicolor photometry of multiple primary and secondary eclipses spanning >1.5 yr, we constrain the masses and radii of both objects in the NLTT 11748 system to a statistical uncertainty of a few percent. However, we find that overall uncertainty in the thickness of the envelope of the secondary carbon/oxygen white dwarf leads to a larger (≈13%) systematic uncertainty in the primary He WD's mass. Over the full range of possible envelope thicknesses, we find that our primary mass (0.136-0.162 M ☉ ) and surface gravity (log (g) = 6.32-6.38; radii are 0.0423-0.0433 R ☉ ) constraints do not agree with previous spectroscopic determinations. We use precise eclipse timing to detect the Rømer delay at 7σ significance, providing an additional weak constraint on the masses and limiting the eccentricity to ecos ω = (– 4 ± 5) × 10 –5 . Finally, we use multicolor data to constrain the secondary's effective temperature (7600 ± 120 K) and cooling age (1.6-1.7 Gyr).

Using binary statistics in Taurus-Auriga to distinguish between brown dwarf formation processes

Science.gov (United States)

Marks, M.; Martín, E. L.; Béjar, V. J. S.; Lodieu, N.; Kroupa, P.; Manjavacas, E.; Thies, I.; Rebolo López, R.; Velasco, S.

2017-08-01

Context. One of the key questions of the star formation problem is whether brown dwarfs (BDs) form in the manner of stars directly from the gravitational collapse of a molecular cloud core (star-like) or whether BDs and some very low-mass stars (VLMSs) constitute a separate population that forms alongside stars comparable to the population of planets, for example through circumstellar disk (peripheral) fragmentation. Aims: For young stars in Taurus-Auriga the binary fraction has been shown to be large with little dependence on primary mass above ≈ 0.2 M⊙, while for BDs the binary fraction is computations. A small amount of dynamical processing of the stellar component was accounted for as appropriate for the low-density Taurus-Auriga embedded clusters. Results: The binary fraction declines strongly in the transition region between star-like and peripheral formation, exhibiting characteristic features. The location of these features and the steepness of this trend depend on the mass limits for star-like and peripheral formation. Such a trend might be unique to low density regions, such as Taurus, which host binary populations that are largely unprocessed dynamically in which the binary fraction is large for stars down to M-dwarfs and small for BDs. Conclusions: The existence of a strong decline in the binary fraction - primary mass diagram will become verifiable in future surveys on BD and VLMS binarity in the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region. The binary fraction - primary mass diagram is a diagnostic of the (non-)continuity of star formation along the mass scale, the separateness of the stellar and BD populations, and the dominant formation channel for BDs and BD binaries in regions of low stellar density hosting dynamically unprocessed populations.

Discovery of a Highly Unequal-mass Binary T Dwarf with Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics: A Coevality Test of Substellar Theoretical Models and Effective Temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Michael C.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Leggett, S. K.

2010-10-01

Highly unequal-mass ratio binaries are rare among field brown dwarfs, with the mass ratio distribution of the known census described by q (4.9±0.7). However, such systems enable a unique test of the joint accuracy of evolutionary and atmospheric models, under the constraint of coevality for the individual components (the "isochrone test"). We carry out this test using two of the most extreme field substellar binaries currently known, the T1 + T6 epsilon Ind Bab binary and a newly discovered 0farcs14 T2.0 + T7.5 binary, 2MASS J12095613-1004008AB, identified with Keck laser guide star adaptive optics. The latter is the most extreme tight binary resolved to date (q ≈ 0.5). Based on the locations of the binary components on the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram, current models successfully indicate that these two systems are coeval, with internal age differences of log(age) = -0.8 ± 1.3(-1.0+1.2 -1.3) dex and 0.5+0.4 -0.3(0.3+0.3 -0.4) dex for 2MASS J1209-1004AB and epsilon Ind Bab, respectively, as inferred from the Lyon (Tucson) models. However, the total mass of epsilon Ind Bab derived from the H-R diagram (≈ 80 M Jup using the Lyon models) is strongly discrepant with the reported dynamical mass. This problem, which is independent of the assumed age of the epsilon Ind Bab system, can be explained by a ≈ 50-100 K systematic error in the model atmosphere fitting, indicating slightly warmer temperatures for both components; bringing the mass determinations from the H-R diagram and the visual orbit into consistency leads to an inferred age of ≈ 6 Gyr for epsilon Ind Bab, older than previously assumed. Overall, the two T dwarf binaries studied here, along with recent results from T dwarfs in age and mass benchmark systems, yield evidence for small (≈100 K) errors in the evolutionary models and/or model atmospheres, but not significantly larger. Future parallax, resolved spectroscopy, and dynamical mass measurements for 2MASS J1209-1004AB will enable a more

Thirty New Low-mass Spectroscopic Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Shkolnik, Evgenya L.; Hebb, Leslie; Liu, Michael C.; Reid, I. Neill; Collier Cameron, Andrew

2010-06-01

As part of our search for young M dwarfs within 25 pc, we acquired high-resolution spectra of 185 low-mass stars compiled by the NStars project that have strong X-ray emission. By cross-correlating these spectra with radial velocity standard stars, we are sensitive to finding multi-lined spectroscopic binaries. We find a low-mass spectroscopic binary fraction of 16% consisting of 27 SB2s, 2 SB3s, and 1 SB4, increasing the number of known low-mass spectroscopic binaries (SBs) by 50% and proving that strong X-ray emission is an extremely efficient way to find M-dwarf SBs. WASP photometry of 23 of these systems revealed two low-mass eclipsing binaries (EBs), bringing the count of known M-dwarf EBs to 15. BD-22 5866, the ESB4, was fully described in 2008 by Shkolnik et al. and CCDM J04404+3127 B consists of two mid-M stars orbiting each other every 2.048 days. WASP also provided rotation periods for 12 systems, and in the cases where the synchronization time scales are short, we used P rot to determine the true orbital parameters. For those with no P rot, we used differential radial velocities to set upper limits on orbital periods and semimajor axes. More than half of our sample has near-equal-mass components (q > 0.8). This is expected since our sample is biased toward tight orbits where saturated X-ray emission is due to tidal spin-up rather than stellar youth. Increasing the samples of M-dwarf SBs and EBs is extremely valuable in setting constraints on current theories of stellar multiplicity and evolution scenarios for low-mass multiple systems. Based on observations collected at the W. M. Keck Observatory, the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and by the WASP Consortium. The Keck Observatory is operated as a scientific partnership between the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA, and was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. The CFHT is operated by the National Research Council of Canada

Evolution of double white dwarf binaries undergoing direct-impact accretion: Implications for gravitational wave astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Kremer, Kyle; Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane L.; Kalogera, Vassiliki

2017-01-01

For close double white dwarf binaries, the mass-transfer phenomenon known as direct-impact accretion (when the mass transfer stream impacts the accretor directly rather than forming a disc) may play a pivotal role in the long-term evolution of the systems. In this analysis, we explore the long-term evolution of white dwarf binaries accreting through direct-impact and explore implications of such systems to gravitational wave astronomy. We cover a broad range of parameter space which includes initial component masses and the strength of tidal coupling, and show that these systems, which lie firmly within the LISA frequency range, show strong negative chirps which can last as long as several million years. Detections of double white dwarf systems in the direct-impact phase by detectors such as LISA would provide astronomers with unique ways of probing the physics governing close compact object binaries.

A strange dwarf scenario for the formation of the peculiar double white dwarf binary SDSS J125733.63+542850.5

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Long; Chen, Wen-Cong; Li, Xiang-Dong

2018-05-01

The Hubble Space Telescope observation of the double white dwarf (WD) binary SDSS J125733.63+542850.5 reveals that the massive WD has a surface gravity log g1 ˜ 8.7 (which implies a mass of M1 ˜ 1.06 M⊙) and an effective temperature T1 ˜ 13 000 K, while the effective temperature of the low-mass WD (M2 dwarf (SD) scenario to explain the formation of this double WD binary. We assume that the massive WD is a SD originating from a phase transition (PT) in a ˜1.1 M⊙ WD, which has experienced accretion and spin-down processes. Its high effective temperature could arise from the heating process during the PT. Our simulations suggest that the progenitor of SDSS J125733.63+542850.5 can be a binary system consisting of a 0.65 M⊙ WD and a 1.5 M⊙ main-sequence star in a 1.492 d orbit. Especially, the secondary star (i.e. the progenitor of the low-mass WD) is likely to have an ultra-low metallicity of Z = 0.0001.

The mass and radius of the M dwarf companion to GD 448

OpenAIRE

Maxted, P. F. L.; Marsh, T. R.; Moran, C.; Dhillon, V. S.; Hilditch, R. W.

1998-01-01

We present spectroscopy and photometry of GD 448, a detached white dwarf - M dwarf binary with a period of 2.47h. We find that the NaI 8200A feature is composed of narrow emission lines due to irradiation of the M dwarf by the white dwarf within broad absorption lines that are essentially unaffected by heating. Combined with an improved spectroscopic orbit and gravitational red shift measurement from spectra of the H-alpha line, we are able to derive masses for the white dwarf and M dwarf dir...

Mass-Accretion effects on white dwarf interiors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canal, R.; Hernanz, M.; Isern, J.; Labay, J.; Mochkovitch, R.

1986-01-01

There is observational evidence of the presence of young neutron stars in old binary systems. A likely explanation is that those neutron stars were produced in the collapse of old C+O white dwarfs. Old white dwarfs being cold and at least partially solid, accretion-induced mass growth should finally lead in a number of cases, to their collapse rather than to their explosion. We show in detail how mass accretion on initially solid white dwarfs can leave central solid cores when dynamical instability sets in. We also study the different effects of the existence of such cores on the outcome of the competition between thermonuclear explosion and gravitational collapse

Properties of an eclipsing double white dwarf binary NLTT 11748

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaplan, David L.; Walker, Arielle N. [Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211 (United States); Marsh, Thomas R.; Bours, Madelon C. P.; Breedt, Elmé [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Bildsten, Lars [Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics, Kohn Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Copperwheat, Chris M. [Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, IC2, Liverpool Science Park, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF (United Kingdom); Dhillon, Vik S.; Littlefair, Stuart P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH (United Kingdom); Howell, Steve B. [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Shporer, Avi [California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Steinfadt, Justin D. R., E-mail: kaplan@uwm.edu [Department of Physics, Broida Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)

2014-01-10

We present high-quality ULTRACAM photometry of the eclipsing detached double white dwarf binary NLTT 11748. This system consists of a carbon/oxygen white dwarf and an extremely low mass (<0.2 M {sub ☉}) helium-core white dwarf in a 5.6 hr orbit. To date, such extremely low-mass white dwarfs, which can have thin, stably burning outer layers, have been modeled via poorly constrained atmosphere and cooling calculations where uncertainties in the detailed structure can strongly influence the eventual fates of these systems when mass transfer begins. With precise (individual precision ≈1%), high-cadence (≈2 s), multicolor photometry of multiple primary and secondary eclipses spanning >1.5 yr, we constrain the masses and radii of both objects in the NLTT 11748 system to a statistical uncertainty of a few percent. However, we find that overall uncertainty in the thickness of the envelope of the secondary carbon/oxygen white dwarf leads to a larger (≈13%) systematic uncertainty in the primary He WD's mass. Over the full range of possible envelope thicknesses, we find that our primary mass (0.136-0.162 M {sub ☉}) and surface gravity (log (g) = 6.32-6.38; radii are 0.0423-0.0433 R {sub ☉}) constraints do not agree with previous spectroscopic determinations. We use precise eclipse timing to detect the Rømer delay at 7σ significance, providing an additional weak constraint on the masses and limiting the eccentricity to ecos ω = (– 4 ± 5) × 10{sup –5}. Finally, we use multicolor data to constrain the secondary's effective temperature (7600 ± 120 K) and cooling age (1.6-1.7 Gyr).

CIRCUMSTELLAR ENVIRONMENT AND EFFECTIVE TEMPERATURE OF THE YOUNG SUBSTELLAR ECLIPSING BINARY 2MASS J05352184-0546085

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohanty, Subhanjoy; Stassun, Keivan G.; Mathieu, Robert D.

2009-01-01

We present new Spitzer IRAC/PU/MIPS photometry from 3.6 to 24 μm, and new Gemini GMOS photometry at 0.48 μm, of the young brown dwarf eclipsing binary 2MASS J05352184-0546085, located in the Orion Nebula Cluster. No excess disk emission is detected. The measured fluxes at λ ≤ 8 μm are within 1σ (∼ -10 M sun ) if it extends in to within ∼0.1 AU of the binary (the approximate tidal truncation radius), or it must be optically thick with a large inner hole, >0.6-10 AU in radius depending on degree of flaring. The consequence in all cases is that disk accretion is likely to be negligible or absent. This supports the recent proposal that the strong Hα emission in the primary (more massive) brown dwarf results from chromospheric activity, and thereby bolsters the hypothesis that the surprising T eff inversion observed between the components is due to strong magnetic fields on the primary. Our data also set constraints on the T eff of the components independent of spectral type, and thereby on models of the aforementioned magnetic field effects. We discuss the consequences for the derived fundamental properties of young brown dwarfs and very low mass stars in general. Specifically, if very active isolated young brown dwarfs and very low mass stars suffer the same activity/field related effects as the 2M0535-05 primary, the low-mass stellar/substellar initial mass function currently derived from standard evolutionary tracks may be substantially in error.

The White-Dwarf Mass-Radius Relation from 40 Eridani B and Other Nearby Visual Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Howard E.; Bergeron, P.; Bedard, A.

2018-01-01

The bright, nearby DA-type white dwarf (WD) 40 Eridani B is orbited by the M dwarf 40 Eri C, allowing determination of the WD's mass. Until recently, however, the mass depended on orbital elements determined four decades ago, and that mass was so low that it created several astrophysical puzzles. Using new astrometric measurements, the binary-star group at the U.S. Naval Observatory has revised the dynamical mass upward, to 0.573 ± 0.018 M⊙. We have used model-atmosphere analysis to update other parameters of the WD, including effective temperature, surface gravity, radius, and luminosity. We then comparethese results with WD interior models.Within the observational uncertainties, theoretical cooling tracks for CO-core WDs of its measured mass are consistent with the position of 40 Eri B in the H-R diagram; equivalently, the theoretical mass-radius relation (MRR) is consistent with the star's location in the mass-radius plane. This consistency is, however, achieved only if we assume a "thin'' outer hydrogen layer, with qH = MH/MWD ∼ 10–10.We discuss other evidence that a significant fraction of DA WDs have such thin H layers, in spite of expectation from canonical stellar-evolution theory of "thick'' H layers with qH ∼ 10–4 . The cooling age of 40 Eri B is ~122 Myr, and its total age is ~1.8 Gyr. We present the MRRs for 40 Eri B and three other nearby WDs in visual binaries with precise mass determinations, and show that the agreement of current theory with observation is excellent in all cases.However, astrophysical puzzles remain. The eccentricity of the BC orbit has remained high (0.43), even though the progenitor of B ought to have interacted tidally with C when it was an AGB star. This puzzle exists also for the Sirius and Procyon systems. If thin hydrogen layers are common among WDs, the mass scale will need to be shifted downwards by a few hundredths of a solar mass.

THE ELM SURVEY. II. TWELVE BINARY WHITE DWARF MERGER SYSTEMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilic, Mukremin; Brown, Warren R.; Kenyon, S. J.; Prieto, Carlos Allende; Agueeros, M. A.; Heinke, Craig

2011-01-01

We describe new radial velocity and X-ray observations of extremely low-mass white dwarfs (ELM WDs, ∼0.2 M sun ) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4 and the MMT Hypervelocity Star survey. We identify four new short period binaries, including two merger systems. These observations bring the total number of short period binary systems identified in our survey to 20. No main-sequence or neutron star companions are visible in the available optical photometry, radio, and X-ray data. Thus, the companions are most likely WDs. Twelve of these systems will merge within a Hubble time due to gravitational wave radiation. We have now tripled the number of known merging WD systems. We discuss the characteristics of this merger sample and potential links to underluminous supernovae, extreme helium stars, AM CVn systems, and other merger products. We provide new observational tests of the WD mass-period distribution and cooling models for ELM WDs. We also find evidence for a new formation channel for single low-mass WDs through binary mergers of two lower mass objects.

AN M DWARF COMPANION TO AN F-TYPE STAR IN A YOUNG MAIN-SEQUENCE BINARY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eigmüller, Ph.; Csizmadia, Sz.; Erikson, A.; Fridlund, M.; Pasternacki, Th.; Rauer, H. [Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center Rutherfordstr. 2, D-12489 Berlin (Germany); Eislöffel, J.; Lehmann, H.; Hartmann, M.; Hatzes, A. [Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg (Germany); Tkachenko, A. [Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Voss, H., E-mail: philipp.eigmueller@dlr.de [Universitat de Barcelona, Department of Astronomy and Meteorology Martí i Franquès, 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2016-03-15

Only a few well characterized very low-mass M dwarfs are known today. Our understanding of M dwarfs is vital as these are the most common stars in our solar neighborhood. We aim to characterize the properties of a rare F+dM stellar system for a better understanding of the low-mass end of the Hertzsprung–Russel diagram. We used photometric light curves and radial velocity follow-up measurements to study the binary. Spectroscopic analysis was used in combination with isochrone fitting to characterize the primary star. The primary star is an early F-type main-sequence star with a mass of (1.493 ± 0.073) M{sub ⊙} and a radius of (1.474 ± 0.040) R{sub ⊙}. The companion is an M dwarf with a mass of (0.188 ± 0.014) M{sub ⊙} and a radius of (0.234 ± 0.009) R{sub ⊙}. The orbital period is (1.35121 ± 0.00001) days. The secondary star is among the lowest-mass M dwarfs known to date. The binary has not reached a 1:1 spin–orbit synchronization. This indicates a young main-sequence binary with an age below ∼250 Myr. The mass–radius relation of both components are in agreement with this finding.

A young contracting white dwarf in the peculiar binary HD 49798/RX J0648.0-4418?

Science.gov (United States)

Popov, S. B.; Mereghetti, S.; Blinnikov, S. I.; Kuranov, A. G.; Yungelson, L. R.

2018-02-01

HD 49798/RX J0648.0-4418 is a peculiar X-ray binary with a hot subdwarf (sdO) mass donor. The nature of the accreting compact object is not known, but its spin period P = 13.2 s and \\dot{P} =-2.15 × 10^{-15} s s-1 proves that it can be only either a white dwarf or a neutron star. The spin-up has been very stable for more than 20 yr. We demonstrate that the continuous stable spin-up of the compact companion of HD 49798 can be best explained by contraction of a young white dwarf with an age ˜2 Myr. This allows us to interpret all the basic parameters of the system in the framework of an accreting white dwarf. We present examples of binary evolution, which result in such systems. If correct, this is the first direct evidence for a white dwarf contraction in early evolutionary stages.

Dwarf carbon stars are likely metal-poor binaries and unlikely hosts to carbon planets

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehouse, Lewis J.; Farihi, J.; Green, P. J.; Wilson, T. G.; Subasavage, J. P.

2018-06-01

Dwarf carbon stars make up the largest fraction of carbon stars in the Galaxy with ≈1200 candidates known to date primarily from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. They either possess primordial carbon-enhancements, or are polluted by mass transfer from an evolved companion such that C/O is enhanced beyond unity. To directly test the binary hypothesis, a radial velocity monitoring survey has been carried out on 28 dwarf carbon stars, resulting in the detection of variations in 21 targets. Using Monte Carlo simulations,this detection fraction is found to be consistent with a 100% binary population and orbital periods on the order of hundreds of days. This result supports the post-mass transfer nature of dwarf carbon stars, and implies they are not likely hosts to carbon planets.

Activity and Kinematics of White Dwarf-M Dwarf Binaries from the SUPERBLINK Proper Motion Survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skinner, Julie N.; Morgan, Dylan P.; West, Andrew A.; Lépine, Sébastien; Thorstensen, John R.

2017-01-01

We present an activity and kinematic analysis of high proper motion white dwarf-M dwarf binaries (WD+dMs) found in the SUPERBLINK survey, 178 of which are new identifications. To identify WD+dMs, we developed a UV–optical–IR color criterion and conducted a spectroscopic survey to confirm each candidate binary. For the newly identified systems, we fit the two components using model white dwarf spectra and M dwarf template spectra to determine physical parameters. We use H α chromospheric emission to examine the magnetic activity of the M dwarf in each system, and investigate how its activity is affected by the presence of a white dwarf companion. We find that the fraction of WD+dM binaries with active M dwarfs is significantly higher than their single M dwarf counterparts at early and mid-spectral types. We corroborate previous studies that find high activity fractions at both close and intermediate separations. At more distant separations, the binary fraction appears to approach the activity fraction for single M dwarfs. Using derived radial velocities and the proper motions, we calculate 3D space velocities for the WD+dMs in SUPERBLINK. For the entire SUPERBLINK WD+dMs, we find a large vertical velocity dispersion, indicating a dynamically hotter population compared to high proper motion samples of single M dwarfs. We compare the kinematics for systems with active M dwarfs and those with inactive M dwarfs, and find signatures of asymmetric drift in the inactive sample, indicating that they are drawn from an older population.

Activity and Kinematics of White Dwarf-M Dwarf Binaries from the SUPERBLINK Proper Motion Survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skinner, Julie N. [Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Morgan, Dylan P.; West, Andrew A. [Department of Astronomy, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Lépine, Sébastien [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, 25 Park Place NE, Atlanta, GA, 30303 (United States); Thorstensen, John R., E-mail: jskinner@bu.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States)

2017-09-01

We present an activity and kinematic analysis of high proper motion white dwarf-M dwarf binaries (WD+dMs) found in the SUPERBLINK survey, 178 of which are new identifications. To identify WD+dMs, we developed a UV–optical–IR color criterion and conducted a spectroscopic survey to confirm each candidate binary. For the newly identified systems, we fit the two components using model white dwarf spectra and M dwarf template spectra to determine physical parameters. We use H α chromospheric emission to examine the magnetic activity of the M dwarf in each system, and investigate how its activity is affected by the presence of a white dwarf companion. We find that the fraction of WD+dM binaries with active M dwarfs is significantly higher than their single M dwarf counterparts at early and mid-spectral types. We corroborate previous studies that find high activity fractions at both close and intermediate separations. At more distant separations, the binary fraction appears to approach the activity fraction for single M dwarfs. Using derived radial velocities and the proper motions, we calculate 3D space velocities for the WD+dMs in SUPERBLINK. For the entire SUPERBLINK WD+dMs, we find a large vertical velocity dispersion, indicating a dynamically hotter population compared to high proper motion samples of single M dwarfs. We compare the kinematics for systems with active M dwarfs and those with inactive M dwarfs, and find signatures of asymmetric drift in the inactive sample, indicating that they are drawn from an older population.

ON THE BINARY FREQUENCY OF THE LOWEST MASS MEMBERS OF THE PLEIADES WITH HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE WIDE FIELD CAMERA 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, E. V.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Allers, Katelyn N.; Liu, Michael C.; Deacon, Niall R.

2015-01-01

We present the results of a Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) imaging survey of 11 of the lowest mass brown dwarfs in the Pleiades known (25–40 M Jup ). These objects represent the predecessors to T dwarfs in the field. Using a semi-empirical binary point-spread function (PSF)-fitting technique, we are able to probe to 0.″ 03 (0.75 pixel), better than 2x the WFC3/UVIS diffraction limit. We did not find any companions to our targets. From extensive testing of our PSF-fitting method on simulated binaries, we compute detection limits which rule out companions to our targets with mass ratios of ≳0.7 and separations ≳4 AU. Thus, our survey is the first to attain the high angular resolution needed to resolve brown dwarf binaries in the Pleiades at separations that are most common in the field population. We constrain the binary frequency over this range of separation and mass ratio of 25–40 M Jup Pleiades brown dwarfs to be <11% for 1σ (<26% at 2σ). This binary frequency is consistent with both younger and older brown dwarfs in this mass range

Activity and Kinematics of White Dwarf-M Dwarf Binaries from the SUPERBLINK Proper Motion Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, Julie N.; Morgan, Dylan P.; West, Andrew A.; Lépine, Sébastien; Thorstensen, John R.

2017-09-01

We present an activity and kinematic analysis of high proper motion white dwarf-M dwarf binaries (WD+dMs) found in the SUPERBLINK survey, 178 of which are new identifications. To identify WD+dMs, we developed a UV-optical-IR color criterion and conducted a spectroscopic survey to confirm each candidate binary. For the newly identified systems, we fit the two components using model white dwarf spectra and M dwarf template spectra to determine physical parameters. We use Hα chromospheric emission to examine the magnetic activity of the M dwarf in each system, and investigate how its activity is affected by the presence of a white dwarf companion. We find that the fraction of WD+dM binaries with active M dwarfs is significantly higher than their single M dwarf counterparts at early and mid-spectral types. We corroborate previous studies that find high activity fractions at both close and intermediate separations. At more distant separations, the binary fraction appears to approach the activity fraction for single M dwarfs. Using derived radial velocities and the proper motions, we calculate 3D space velocities for the WD+dMs in SUPERBLINK. For the entire SUPERBLINK WD+dMs, we find a large vertical velocity dispersion, indicating a dynamically hotter population compared to high proper motion samples of single M dwarfs. We compare the kinematics for systems with active M dwarfs and those with inactive M dwarfs, and find signatures of asymmetric drift in the inactive sample, indicating that they are drawn from an older population. Based on observations obtained at the MDM Observatory operated by Dartmouth College, Columbia University, The Ohio State University, and the University of Michigan.

The Very Short Period M Dwarf Binary SDSS J001641-000925

Science.gov (United States)

Davenport, James R. A.; Becker, Andrew C.; West, Andrew A.; Bochanski, John J.; Hawley, Suzanne L.; Holtzman, Jon; Gunning, Heather C.; Hilton, Eric J.; Munshi, Ferah A.; Albright, Meagan

2013-02-01

We present follow-up observations and analysis of the recently discovered short period low-mass eclipsing binary, SDSS J001641-000925. With an orbital period of 0.19856 days, this system has one of the shortest known periods for an M dwarf binary system. Medium-resolution spectroscopy and multi-band photometry for the system are presented. Markov Chain Monte Carlo modeling of the light curves and radial velocities yields estimated masses for the stars of M 1 = 0.54 ± 0.07 M ⊙ and M 2 = 0.34 ± 0.04 M ⊙, and radii of R 1 = 0.68 ± 0.03 R ⊙ and R 2 = 0.58 ± 0.03 R ⊙, respectively. This solution places both components above the critical Roche overfill limit, providing strong evidence that SDSS J001641-000925 is the first verified M-dwarf contact binary system. Within the follow-up spectroscopy we find signatures of non-solid body rotation velocities, which we interpret as evidence for mass transfer or loss within the system. In addition, our photometry samples the system over nine years, and we find strong evidence for period decay at the rate of \\dot{P}\\sim 8 s yr-1. Both of these signatures raise the intriguing possibility that the system is in over-contact, and actively losing angular momentum, likely through mass loss. This places SDSS J001641-000925 as not just the first M-dwarf over-contact binary, but one of the few systems of any spectral type known to be actively undergoing coalescence. Further study of SDSS J001641-000925 is ongoing to verify the nature of the system, which may prove to be a unique astrophysical laboratory. Based on observations obtained with the Apache Point Observatory 3.5 m telescope, which is owned and operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. Support for the design and construction of the Magellan Echellette Spectrograph was received from the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the

Constraints on the brown dwarf mass function from optical and infrared searches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Probst, R.G.

1986-01-01

Photometric surveys of faint proper motion stars and searches for infrared binary companions have identified a few very low luminosity objects. The author considers how these searches may constrain the brown dwarf mass function. An astrophysically plausible brown dwarf population is defined which yields a dark mass density = 0.5 x the observed density. Using the sensitivity and other limits of various surveys, the expected numbers of observable brown dwarfs are obtained from the model population for comparison with actual results. Reasonable improvement in search protocol could yield statistically significant tests of the brown dwarf mass function. (author)

Merger of white dwarf-neutron star binaries: Prelude to hydrodynamic simulations in general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paschalidis, Vasileios; MacLeod, Morgan; Baumgarte, Thomas W.; Shapiro, Stuart L.

2009-01-01

White dwarf-neutron star binaries generate detectable gravitational radiation. We construct Newtonian equilibrium models of corotational white dwarf-neutron star (WDNS) binaries in circular orbit and find that these models terminate at the Roche limit. At this point the binary will undergo either stable mass transfer (SMT) and evolve on a secular time scale, or unstable mass transfer (UMT), which results in the tidal disruption of the WD. The path a given binary will follow depends primarily on its mass ratio. We analyze the fate of known WDNS binaries and use population synthesis results to estimate the number of LISA-resolved galactic binaries that will undergo either SMT or UMT. We model the quasistationary SMT epoch by solving a set of simple ordinary differential equations and compute the corresponding gravitational waveforms. Finally, we discuss in general terms the possible fate of binaries that undergo UMT and construct approximate Newtonian equilibrium configurations of merged WDNS remnants. We use these configurations to assess plausible outcomes of our future, fully relativistic simulations of these systems. If sufficient WD debris lands on the NS, the remnant may collapse, whereby the gravitational waves from the inspiral, merger, and collapse phases will sweep from LISA through LIGO frequency bands. If the debris forms a disk about the NS, it may fragment and form planets.

Evolution of dwarf binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tutukov, A.V.; Fedorova, A.V.; Yungel'son, L.R.

1982-01-01

The conditions of mass exchange in close binary systems with masses of components less or equal to one solar mass have been analysed for the case, when the system radiates gravitational waves. It has been shown that the mass exchange rate depends in a certain way on the mass ratio of components and on the mass of component that fills its inner critical lobe. The comparison of observed periods, masses of contact components, and mass exchange rates of observed cataclysmic binaries have led to the conclusion that the evolution of close binaries WZ Sge, OY Car, Z Cha, TT Ari, 2A 0311-227, and G 61-29 may be driven by the emission of gravitational waves [ru

Fundamental Stellar Parameters with HST/FGS Dynamical Masses and HST/STIS Spectroscopy of M Dwarf Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Dieterich, Sergio; Henry, Todd J.; Benedict, George Fritz; Jao, Wei-Chun; White, Russel; RECONS Team

2017-01-01

Mass is the most fundamental stellar parameter, and yet model independent dynamical masses can only be obtained for a small subset of closely separated binaries. The high angular resolution needed to characterize individual components of those systems means that little is known about the details of their atmospheric properties. We discuss the results of HST/STIS observations yielding spatially resolved optical spectra for six closely separated M dwarf systems, all of which have HST/FGS precision dynamical masses for the individual components ranging from 0.4 to 0.076 MSol. We assume coevality and equal metallicity for the components of each system and use those constraints to perform stringent tests of the leading atmospheric and evolutionary model families throughout the M dwarf mass range. We find the latest models to be in good agreement with observations. We discuss specific spectral diagnostic features such as the well-known gravity sensitive Na and K lines and address ways to break the temperature-metallicity-gravity degeneracy that often hinders the interpretation of these features. We single out a comparison between the systems GJ 469 AB and G 250-29 AB, which have nearly identical mass configurations but different metallicities, thus causing marked differences in atmospheric properties and overall luminosities.This work is funded by NASA grant HST-GO-12938. and By the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship program through NSF grant AST-1400680.

Identification and characterization of low mass stars and brown dwarfs using Virtual Observatory tools

Science.gov (United States)

Aberasturi, Miriam

2015-11-01

conducted an all-sky photometric search by cross correlating the Carlsberg Meridian Catalogue (CMC14) and the 2MASS Point Source Catalogue with the aim of increasing the number of known, nearby M dwarfs that could be used as targets for exoplanet searches in general and CARMENES in particular. This VO search was combined with low-resolution spectroscopic followup of 27 objects using the IDS spectrograph at the Isaac Newton telescope at La Palma, as well as with an astrometric and photometric study. In the third paper we attempted to refine the multiplicity properties of T dwarfs studying the largest sample so far observed with high angular resolution imaging. We undertook two parallel programs using the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) installed on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We used a PSF-fitting subtraction technique to reveal the presence of any close companion to the sources in our sample. Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to estimate the capability of WFC3 to detect close binaries in terms of angular separation and magnitude difference. Simulations were also used to determine the fraction of binaries that would have been detected around each source based on assumed separations, mass ratio distributions and orientations of the systems. Results: The main conclusion from this dissertation is that the Virtual Observatory has proved to be an excellent research methodology in the field of low mass stars and brown dwarfs. In particular, it allowed an efficient management of the queries to different catalogues and archives as well as the estimation of physical parameters through VO-tools. In the first publication we present the identification of 31 brown dwarf (25 known and 6 strong candidates not previously reported in the literature) identified in the sky area in common toWISE, 2MASS and SDSS. This is a remarkable number considering that 2MASS has been extensively searched for ultracool dwarfs and clearly show how new surveys and the use of VO tools can help to mine

A Precise Physical Orbit For The M-Dwarf Binary Gliese 268

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, R. K.; Demory, B. -O.; Segransan, D.; Forveille, T.; Danchi, W. C.; Di Folco, E.; Queloz, D.; Spooner, H. R.; Torres, G.; Traub, W. A.;

Formation of luminous contact binaries by rapid accretion onto white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomoto, K.; Nariai, K.; Sugimoto, D.

1980-01-01

During the evolution of a close binary system, there is a phase of mass exchange between its component stars. The authors investigate what happens in the case of extremely rapid accretion onto a white dwarf. They have computed the whole processes of mass accretion starting from its onset through the shell flash and further mass accumulation. Throughout the computation the effect of gravitational energy release has been correctly taken into account. (Auth.)

LOW-MASS VISUAL COMPANIONS TO NEARBY G-DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokovinin, Andrei

2011-01-01

A complete census of wide visual companions to nearby G-dwarf stars can be achieved by selecting candidates from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) Point-Source Catalog and checking their status by second-epoch imaging. Such data are obtained for 124 candidates with separations up to 20'', 47 of which are shown to be new physical low-mass stellar companions. A list of visual binaries with G-dwarf primaries is produced by combining newly found companions with historical data. Maximum likelihood analysis leads to a companion frequency of 0.13 ± 0.015 per decade of separation. The mass ratio is distributed almost uniformly, with a power-law index between -0.4 and 0. The remaining uncertainty in the index is related to modeling of the companion detection threshold in 2MASS. These findings are confirmed by an alternative analysis of wider companions in 2MASS, removing the contamination by background stars statistically. Extension of this work will lead to a complete detection of visual companions-a necessary step toward reaching unbiased multiplicity statistics over the full range of orbital periods and, eventually, understanding the origin of multiple systems.

BINARIES DISCOVERED BY THE MUCHFUSS PROJECT: SDSS J08205+0008-AN ECLIPSING SUBDWARF B BINARY WITH A BROWN DWARF COMPANION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geier, S.; Schaffenroth, V.; Drechsel, H.; Heber, U.; Kupfer, T.; Tillich, A.; Oestensen, R. H.; Smolders, K.; Degroote, P.; Maxted, P. F. L.; Barlow, B. N.; Gaensicke, B. T.; Marsh, T. R.; Napiwotzki, R.

2011-01-01

Hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) are extreme horizontal branch stars believed to originate from close binary evolution. Indeed about half of the known sdB stars are found in close binaries with periods ranging from a few hours to a few days. The enormous mass loss required to remove the hydrogen envelope of the red-giant progenitor almost entirely can be explained by common envelope ejection. A rare subclass of these binaries are the eclipsing HW Vir binaries where the sdB is orbited by a dwarf M star. Here, we report the discovery of an HW Vir system in the course of the MUCHFUSS project. A most likely substellar object (≅0.068 M sun ) was found to orbit the hot subdwarf J08205+0008 with a period of 0.096 days. Since the eclipses are total, the system parameters are very well constrained. J08205+0008 has the lowest unambiguously measured companion mass yet found in a subdwarf B binary. This implies that the most likely substellar companion has not only survived the engulfment by the red-giant envelope, but also triggered its ejection and enabled the sdB star to form. The system provides evidence that brown dwarfs may indeed be able to significantly affect late stellar evolution.

New Evidence for a Substellar Luminosity Problem: Dynamical Mass for the Brown Dwarf Binary Gl 417BC

Science.gov (United States)

Dupuy, Trent J.; Liu, Michael C.; Ireland, Michael J.

2014-08-01

We present new evidence for a problem with cooling rates predicted by substellar evolutionary models that implies that model-derived masses in the literature for brown dwarfs and directly imaged planets may be too high. Based on our dynamical mass for Gl 417BC (L4.5+L6) and a gyrochronology system age from its young, solar-type host star, commonly used models predict luminosities 0.2-0.4 dex lower than we observe. This corroborates a similar luminosity-age discrepancy identified in our previous work on the L4+L4 binary HD 130948BC, which coincidentally has nearly identical component masses (≈50-55 M Jup) and age (≈800 Myr) as Gl 417BC. Such a luminosity offset would cause systematic errors of 15%-25% in model-derived masses at this age. After comparing different models, including cloudless models that should not be appropriate for mid-L dwarfs like Gl 417BC and HD 130948BC but actually match their luminosities better, we speculate the observed overluminosity could be caused by opacity holes (i.e., patchy clouds) in these objects. Moreover, from hybrid substellar evolutionary models that account for cloud disappearance, we infer the corresponding phase of overluminosity may extend from a few hundred million years up to a few gigayears and cause masses to be overestimated by up to 25%, even well after clouds disappear from view entirely. Thus, the range of ages and spectral types affected by this potential systematic shift in luminosity evolution would encompass most known directly imaged gas-giants and field brown dwarfs. Data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

TWO EXTRAORDINARY SUBSTELLAR BINARIES AT THE T/Y TRANSITION AND THE Y-BAND FLUXES OF THE COOLEST BROWN DWARFS {sup ,}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Michael C.; Bowler, Brendan P.; Best, William M. J. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Dupuy, Trent J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Leggett, S. K. [Gemini Observatory, 670 North A' ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)

2012-10-10

Using Keck laser guide star adaptive optics imaging, we have found that the T9 dwarf WISE J1217+1626 and T8 dwarf WISE J1711+3500 are exceptional binaries, with unusually wide separations ( Almost-Equal-To 0.''8, 8-15 AU), large near-IR flux ratios ( Almost-Equal-To 2-3 mag), and small mass ratios ( Almost-Equal-To 0.5) compared to previously known field ultracool binaries. Keck/NIRSPEC H-band spectra give a spectral type of Y0 for WISE J1217+1626B, and photometric estimates suggest T9.5 for WISE J1711+3500B. The WISE J1217+1626AB system is very similar to the T9+Y0 binary CFBDSIR J1458+1013AB; these two systems are the coldest known substellar multiples, having secondary components of Almost-Equal-To 400 K and being planetary-mass binaries if their ages are {approx}<1 Gyr. Both WISE J1217+1626B and CFBDSIR J1458+1013B have strikingly blue Y - J colors compared to previously known T dwarfs, including their T9 primaries. Combining all available data, we find that Y - J color drops precipitously between the very latest T dwarfs and the Y dwarfs. The fact that this is seen in (coeval, mono-metallicity) binaries demonstrates that the color drop arises from a change in temperature, not surface gravity or metallicity variations among the field population. Thus, the T/Y transition established by near-IR spectra coincides with a significant change in the Almost-Equal-To 1 {mu}m fluxes of ultracool photospheres. One explanation is the depletion of potassium, whose broad absorption wings dominate the far-red optical spectra of T dwarfs. This large color change suggests that far-red data may be valuable for classifying objects of {approx}<500 K.

Hubble Space Telescope Imaging and Spectral Analysis of Two Brown Dwarf Binaries at the L Dwarf/T Dwarf Transition

OpenAIRE

Burgasser, Adam J.; Gagliuffi, Daniella C. Bardalez; Gizis, John E.

2010-01-01

We present a detailed examination of the brown dwarf multiples 2MASS J08503593+1057156 and 2MASS J17281150+3948593, both suspected of harboring components that straddle the L dwarf/T dwarf transition. Resolved photometry from Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS show opposite trends in the relative colors of the components, with the secondary of 2MASS J0850+1057 being redder than its primary, while that of 2MASS J1728+3948 is bluer. We determine near-infrared component types by matching combined-lig...

A Double-line M-dwarf Eclipsing Binary from CSS × SDSS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Chien-Hsiu, E-mail: leech@naoj.org [Subaru Telescope, NAOJ, 650 N Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)

2017-03-01

Eclipsing binaries offer a unique opportunity to determine basic stellar properties. With the advent of wide-field camera and all-sky time-domain surveys, thousands of eclipsing binaries have been charted via light curve classification, yet their fundamental properties remain unexplored mainly due to the extensive efforts needed for spectroscopic follow-ups. In this paper, we present the discovery of a short-period ( P  = 0.313 day), double-lined M-dwarf eclipsing binary, CSSJ114804.3+255132/SDSSJ114804.35+255132.6, by cross-matching binary light curves from the Catalina Sky Survey and spectroscopically classified M dwarfs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We obtain follow-up spectra using the Gemini telescope, enabling us to determine the mass, radius, and temperature of the primary and secondary component to be M {sub 1} = 0.47 ± 0.03(statistic) ± 0.03(systematic) M {sub ⊙}, M {sub 2} = 0.46 ± 0.03(statistic) ± 0.03(systematic) M {sub ⊙}, R {sub 1} = 0.52 ± 0.08(statistic) ± 0.07(systematic) R {sub ⊙}, R {sub 2} =0.60 ± 0.08(statistic) ± 0.08(systematic) R {sub ⊙}, T {sub 1} = 3560 ± 100 K, and T {sub 2} = 3040 ± 100 K, respectively. The systematic error was estimated using the difference between eccentric and non-eccentric fits. Our analysis also indicates that there is definitively third-light contamination (66%) in the CSS photometry. The secondary star seems inflated, probably due to tidal locking of the close secondary companion, which is common for very short-period binary systems. Future spectroscopic observations with high resolution will narrow down the uncertainties of stellar parameters for both components, rendering this system as a benchmark for studying fundamental properties of M dwarfs.

A Double-line M-dwarf Eclipsing Binary from CSS × SDSS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chien-Hsiu

2017-01-01

Eclipsing binaries offer a unique opportunity to determine basic stellar properties. With the advent of wide-field camera and all-sky time-domain surveys, thousands of eclipsing binaries have been charted via light curve classification, yet their fundamental properties remain unexplored mainly due to the extensive efforts needed for spectroscopic follow-ups. In this paper, we present the discovery of a short-period ( P  = 0.313 day), double-lined M-dwarf eclipsing binary, CSSJ114804.3+255132/SDSSJ114804.35+255132.6, by cross-matching binary light curves from the Catalina Sky Survey and spectroscopically classified M dwarfs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We obtain follow-up spectra using the Gemini telescope, enabling us to determine the mass, radius, and temperature of the primary and secondary component to be M 1  = 0.47 ± 0.03(statistic) ± 0.03(systematic) M ⊙ , M 2  = 0.46 ± 0.03(statistic) ± 0.03(systematic) M ⊙ , R 1  = 0.52 ± 0.08(statistic) ± 0.07(systematic) R ⊙ , R 2  =0.60 ± 0.08(statistic) ± 0.08(systematic) R ⊙ , T 1  = 3560 ± 100 K, and T 2  = 3040 ± 100 K, respectively. The systematic error was estimated using the difference between eccentric and non-eccentric fits. Our analysis also indicates that there is definitively third-light contamination (66%) in the CSS photometry. The secondary star seems inflated, probably due to tidal locking of the close secondary companion, which is common for very short-period binary systems. Future spectroscopic observations with high resolution will narrow down the uncertainties of stellar parameters for both components, rendering this system as a benchmark for studying fundamental properties of M dwarfs.

Discovery of a Detached, Eclipsing 40 Minute Period Double White Dwarf Binary and a Friend: Implications for He+CO White Dwarf Mergers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Warren R.; Kilic, Mukremin; Kosakowski, Alekzander; Gianninas, A.

2017-01-01

We report the discovery of two detached double white dwarf (WD) binaries, SDSS J082239.546+304857.19 and SDSS J104336.275+055149.90, with orbital periods of 40 and 46 minutes, respectively. The 40 minute system is eclipsing; it is composed of a 0.30 M ⊙ and a 0.52 M ⊙ WD. The 46 minute system is a likely LISA verification binary. The short 20 ± 2 Myr and ∼34 Myr gravitational-wave merger times of the two binaries imply that many more such systems have formed and merged over the age of the Milky Way. We update the estimated Milky Way He+CO WD binary merger rate and affirm our previously published result: He+CO WD binaries merge at a rate at least 40 times greater than the formation rate of stable mass-transfer AM CVn binaries, and so the majority must have unstable mass-transfer. The implication is that spin–orbit coupling in He+CO WD mergers is weak, or perhaps nova-like outbursts drive He+CO WDs into merger, as proposed by Shen.

Discovery of a Detached, Eclipsing 40 Minute Period Double White Dwarf Binary and a Friend: Implications for He+CO White Dwarf Mergers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Warren R. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Kilic, Mukremin; Kosakowski, Alekzander; Gianninas, A., E-mail: wbrown@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: kilic@ou.edu, E-mail: alexg@nhn.ou.edu [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, 440 W. Brooks Street, Norman, OK 73019 (United States)

2017-09-20

We report the discovery of two detached double white dwarf (WD) binaries, SDSS J082239.546+304857.19 and SDSS J104336.275+055149.90, with orbital periods of 40 and 46 minutes, respectively. The 40 minute system is eclipsing; it is composed of a 0.30 M {sub ⊙} and a 0.52 M {sub ⊙} WD. The 46 minute system is a likely LISA verification binary. The short 20 ± 2 Myr and ∼34 Myr gravitational-wave merger times of the two binaries imply that many more such systems have formed and merged over the age of the Milky Way. We update the estimated Milky Way He+CO WD binary merger rate and affirm our previously published result: He+CO WD binaries merge at a rate at least 40 times greater than the formation rate of stable mass-transfer AM CVn binaries, and so the majority must have unstable mass-transfer. The implication is that spin–orbit coupling in He+CO WD mergers is weak, or perhaps nova-like outbursts drive He+CO WDs into merger, as proposed by Shen.

A PRECISE PHYSICAL ORBIT FOR THE M-DWARF BINARY GLIESE 268

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barry, R. K.; Danchi, W. C. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Laboratory for Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics, Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Demory, B.-O.; Segransan, D.; Di Folco, E.; Queloz, D.; Udry, S. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Forveille, T.; Delfosse, X.; Mayor, M.; Perrier, C. [Geneva Observatory, Geneva University, 51 Ch.des Maillettes, CH-1290 Versoix (Switzerland); Spooner, H. R. [University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Torres, G. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02136 (United States); Traub, W. A., E-mail: Richard.K.Barry@nasa.gov [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2012-11-20

We report high-precision interferometric and radial velocity (RV) observations of the M-dwarf binary Gl 268. Combining measurements conducted using the IOTA interferometer and the ELODIE and Harvard Center for Astrophysics RV instruments leads to a mass of 0.22596 {+-} 0.00084 M {sub Sun} for component A and 0.19230 {+-} 0.00071 M {sub Sun} for component B. The system parallax as determined by these observations is 0.1560 {+-} 0.0030 arcsec-a measurement with 1.9% uncertainty in excellent agreement with Hipparcos (0.1572 {+-} 0.0033). The absolute H-band magnitudes of the component stars are not well constrained by these measurements; however, we can place an approximate upper limit of 7.95 and 8.1 for Gl 268A and B, respectively. We test these physical parameters against the predictions of theoretical models that combine stellar evolution with high fidelity, non-gray atmospheric models. Measured and predicted values are compatible within 2{sigma}. These results are among the most precise masses measured for visual binaries and compete with the best adaptive optics and eclipsing binary results.

Precise atmospheric parameters for the shortest-period binary white dwarfs: gravitational waves, metals, and pulsations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gianninas, A.; Kilic, Mukremin; Dufour, P.; Bergeron, P.; Brown, Warren R.; Hermes, J. J.

2014-01-01

We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of 61 low-mass white dwarfs and provide precise atmospheric parameters, masses, and updated binary system parameters based on our new model atmosphere grids and the most recent evolutionary model calculations. For the first time, we measure systematic abundances of He, Ca, and Mg for metal-rich, extremely low mass white dwarfs and examine the distribution of these abundances as a function of effective temperature and mass. Based on our preliminary results, we discuss the possibility that shell flashes may be responsible for the presence of the observed He and metals. We compare stellar radii derived from our spectroscopic analysis to model-independent measurements and find good agreement except for white dwarfs with T eff ≲ 10,000 K. We also calculate the expected gravitational wave strain for each system and discuss their significance to the eLISA space-borne gravitational wave observatory. Finally, we provide an update on the instability strip of extremely low mass white dwarf pulsators.

Precise atmospheric parameters for the shortest-period binary white dwarfs: gravitational waves, metals, and pulsations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gianninas, A.; Kilic, Mukremin [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, 440 West Brooks Street, Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Dufour, P.; Bergeron, P. [Département de Physique, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7 (Canada); Brown, Warren R. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Hermes, J. J., E-mail: alexg@nhn.ou.edu [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

2014-10-10

We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of 61 low-mass white dwarfs and provide precise atmospheric parameters, masses, and updated binary system parameters based on our new model atmosphere grids and the most recent evolutionary model calculations. For the first time, we measure systematic abundances of He, Ca, and Mg for metal-rich, extremely low mass white dwarfs and examine the distribution of these abundances as a function of effective temperature and mass. Based on our preliminary results, we discuss the possibility that shell flashes may be responsible for the presence of the observed He and metals. We compare stellar radii derived from our spectroscopic analysis to model-independent measurements and find good agreement except for white dwarfs with T {sub eff} ≲ 10,000 K. We also calculate the expected gravitational wave strain for each system and discuss their significance to the eLISA space-borne gravitational wave observatory. Finally, we provide an update on the instability strip of extremely low mass white dwarf pulsators.

Microlensing discovery of a tight, low-mass-ratio planetary-mass object around an old field brown dwarf

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, C.; Jung, Y. K. [Department of Physics, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 371-763 (Korea, Republic of); Udalski, A.; Szymański, M. K.; Kubiak, M.; Pietrzyński, G.; Soszyński, I.; Skowron, J.; Kozłowski, S.; Poleski, R.; Ulaczyk, K.; Wyrzykowski, Ł.; Pietrukowicz, P. [Warsaw University Observatory, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warszawa (Poland); Sumi, T. [Department of Earth and Space Science, Osaka University, Osaka 560-0043 (Japan); Gaudi, B. S.; Gould, A. [Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Bennett, D. P. [University of Notre Dame, Department of Physics, 225 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5670 (United States); Tsapras, Y. [Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, 6740B Cortona Dr, Goleta, CA 93117 (United States); Abe, F. [Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan); Bond, I. A. [Institute of Information and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102-904, North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland (New Zealand); Collaboration: OGLE Collaboration; MOA Collaboration; μFUN Collaboration; RoboNet Collaboration; and others

2013-11-20

Observations of accretion disks around young brown dwarfs (BDs) have led to the speculation that they may form planetary systems similar to normal stars. While there have been several detections of planetary-mass objects around BDs (2MASS 1207-3932 and 2MASS 0441-2301), these companions have relatively large mass ratios and projected separations, suggesting that they formed in a manner analogous to stellar binaries. We present the discovery of a planetary-mass object orbiting a field BD via gravitational microlensing, OGLE-2012-BLG-0358Lb. The system is a low secondary/primary mass ratio (0.080 ± 0.001), relatively tightly separated (∼0.87 AU) binary composed of a planetary-mass object with 1.9 ± 0.2 Jupiter masses orbiting a BD with a mass 0.022 M {sub ☉}. The relatively small mass ratio and separation suggest that the companion may have formed in a protoplanetary disk around the BD host in a manner analogous to planets.

NEAR-INFRARED LIGHT CURVES OF THE BROWN DWARF ECLIPSING BINARY 2MASS J05352184-0546085: CAN SPOTS EXPLAIN THE TEMPERATURE REVERSAL?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez Maqueo Chew, Yilen; Stassun, Keivan G.; Prsa, Andrej; Mathieu, Robert D.

2009-01-01

We present near-infrared JHK S light curves for the double-lined eclipsing binary system Two Micron All Sky Survey J05352184 - 0546085, in which both components have been shown to be brown dwarfs with an age of ∼1 Myr. We analyze these light curves together with the previously published I C -band light curve and radial velocities to provide refined measurements of the system's physical parameters. The component masses and radii are here determined with an accuracy of ∼6.5% and ∼1.5%, respectively. In addition, we confirm the previous surprising finding that the primary brown dwarf has a cooler effective temperature than its lower mass companion. Next, we perform a detailed study of the residual variations in the out-of-eclipse phases of the light curves to ascertain the properties of any inhomogeneities (e.g., spots) on the surfaces of the brown dwarfs. Our analysis reveals two low-amplitude (∼0.02 mag) periodic signals, one attributable to the rotation of the primary with a period of 3.293 ± 0.001 d and the other to the rotation of the secondary with a period of 14.05 ± 0.05 d. Both periods are consistent with the measured vsin i and radii. Finally, we explore the effects on the derived physical parameters of the system when spots are included in the modeling of the light curves. The observed low-amplitude rotational modulations are well fitted by cool spots covering a small fraction (∼<10%) of the brown dwarfs' surfaces. Such small spots negligibly affect the physical properties of the brown dwarfs, and thus by themselves cannot explain the primary's unexpectedly low surface temperature. To mimic the observed ∼200 K suppression of the primary's temperature, our model requires that the primary possesses a very large spot coverage fraction of ∼65%. These spots must in addition be symmetrically distributed on the primary's surface so as not to produce photometric variations larger than observed. Altogether, a spot configuration in which the primary

Searching for benchmark systems containing ultra-cool dwarfs and white dwarfs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pinfield D.J.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available We have used the 2MASS all-sky survey and WISE to look for ultracool dwarfs that are part of multiple systems containing main sequence stars. We cross-matched L dwarf candidates from the surveys with Hipparcos and Gliese stars, finding two new systems. We consider the binary fraction for L dwarfs and main sequence stars, and further assess possible unresolved multiplicity within the full companion sample. This analysis shows that some of the L dwarfs in this sample might actually be unresolved binaries themselves. We have also identified a sample of common proper motion systems in which a main sequence star has a white dwarf as wide companion. These systems can help explore key issues in star evolution theory, as the initial-final mass relationship of white dwarfs, or the chromospheric activity-age relationship for stars still in the main sequence. Spectroscopy for 50 white dwarf candidates, selected from the SuperCOSMOS Science Archive, was obtained. We have also observed 6 of the main sequence star companions, and have estimated their effective temperatures, rotational and microturbulent velocities and metallicities.

Constraining parameters of white-dwarf binaries using gravitational-wave and electromagnetic observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, Sweta; Nelemans, Gijs

2014-01-01

The space-based gravitational wave (GW) detector, evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA) is expected to observe millions of compact Galactic binaries that populate our Milky Way. GW measurements obtained from the eLISA detector are in many cases complimentary to possible electromagnetic (EM) data. In our previous papers, we have shown that the EM data can significantly enhance our knowledge of the astrophysically relevant GW parameters of Galactic binaries, such as the amplitude and inclination. This is possible due to the presence of some strong correlations between GW parameters that are measurable by both EM and GW observations, for example, the inclination and sky position. In this paper, we quantify the constraints in the physical parameters of the white-dwarf binaries, i.e., the individual masses, chirp mass, and the distance to the source that can be obtained by combining the full set of EM measurements such as the inclination, radial velocities, distances, and/or individual masses with the GW measurements. We find the following 2σ fractional uncertainties in the parameters of interest. The EM observations of distance constrain the chirp mass to ∼15%-25%, whereas EM data of a single-lined spectroscopic binary constrain the secondary mass and the distance with factors of two to ∼40%. The single-line spectroscopic data complemented with distance constrains the secondary mass to ∼25%-30%. Finally, EM data on double-lined spectroscopic binary constrain the distance to ∼30%. All of these constraints depend on the inclination and the signal strength of the binary systems. We also find that the EM information on distance and/or the radial velocity are the most useful in improving the estimate of the secondary mass, inclination, and/or distance.

BROWN DWARF BINARIES FROM DISINTEGRATING TRIPLE SYSTEMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reipurth, Bo [Institute for Astronomy and NASA Astrobiology Institute University of Hawaii, 640 N. Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Mikkola, Seppo, E-mail: reipurth@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: Seppo.Mikkola@utu.fi [Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, Piikkiö (Finland)

2015-04-15

Binaries in which both components are brown dwarfs (BDs) are being discovered at an increasing rate, and their properties may hold clues to their origin. We have carried out 200,000 N-body simulations of three identical stellar embryos with masses drawn from a Chabrier IMF and embedded in a molecular core. The bodies are initially non-hierarchical and undergo chaotic motions within the cloud core, while accreting using Bondi–Hoyle accretion. The coupling of dynamics and accretion often leads to one or two dominant bodies controlling the center of the cloud core, while banishing the other(s) to the lower-density outskirts, leading to stunted growth. Eventually each system transforms either to a bound hierarchical configuration or breaks apart into separate single and binary components. The orbital motion is followed for 100 Myr. In order to illustrate 200,000 end-states of such dynamical evolution with accretion, we introduce the “triple diagnostic diagram,” which plots two dimensionless numbers against each other, representing the binary mass ratio and the mass ratio of the third body to the total system mass. Numerous freefloating BD binaries are formed in these simulations, and statistical properties are derived. The separation distribution function is in good correspondence with observations, showing a steep rise at close separations, peaking around 13 AU and declining more gently, reaching zero at separations greater than 200 AU. Unresolved BD triple systems may appear as wider BD binaries. Mass ratios are strongly peaked toward unity, as observed, but this is partially due to the initial assumptions. Eccentricities gradually increase toward higher values, due to the lack of viscous interactions in the simulations, which would both shrink the orbits and decrease their eccentricities. Most newborn triple systems are unstable and while there are 9209 ejected BD binaries at 1 Myr, corresponding to about 4% of the 200,000 simulations, this number has grown to

BROWN DWARF BINARIES FROM DISINTEGRATING TRIPLE SYSTEMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reipurth, Bo; Mikkola, Seppo

2015-01-01

Binaries in which both components are brown dwarfs (BDs) are being discovered at an increasing rate, and their properties may hold clues to their origin. We have carried out 200,000 N-body simulations of three identical stellar embryos with masses drawn from a Chabrier IMF and embedded in a molecular core. The bodies are initially non-hierarchical and undergo chaotic motions within the cloud core, while accreting using Bondi–Hoyle accretion. The coupling of dynamics and accretion often leads to one or two dominant bodies controlling the center of the cloud core, while banishing the other(s) to the lower-density outskirts, leading to stunted growth. Eventually each system transforms either to a bound hierarchical configuration or breaks apart into separate single and binary components. The orbital motion is followed for 100 Myr. In order to illustrate 200,000 end-states of such dynamical evolution with accretion, we introduce the “triple diagnostic diagram,” which plots two dimensionless numbers against each other, representing the binary mass ratio and the mass ratio of the third body to the total system mass. Numerous freefloating BD binaries are formed in these simulations, and statistical properties are derived. The separation distribution function is in good correspondence with observations, showing a steep rise at close separations, peaking around 13 AU and declining more gently, reaching zero at separations greater than 200 AU. Unresolved BD triple systems may appear as wider BD binaries. Mass ratios are strongly peaked toward unity, as observed, but this is partially due to the initial assumptions. Eccentricities gradually increase toward higher values, due to the lack of viscous interactions in the simulations, which would both shrink the orbits and decrease their eccentricities. Most newborn triple systems are unstable and while there are 9209 ejected BD binaries at 1 Myr, corresponding to about 4% of the 200,000 simulations, this number has grown to

The True Ultracool Binary Fraction Using Spectral Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella; Burgasser, Adam J.; Schmidt, Sarah J.; Gagné, Jonathan; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Cruz, Kelle; Gelino, Chris

2018-01-01

Brown dwarfs bridge the gap between stars and giant planets. While the essential mechanisms governing their formation are not well constrained, binary statistics are a direct outcome of the formation process, and thus provide a means to test formation theories. Observational constraints on the brown dwarf binary fraction place it at 10 ‑ 20%, dominated by imaging studies (85% of systems) with the most common separation at 4 AU. This coincides with the resolution limit of state-of-the-art imaging techniques, suggesting that the binary fraction is underestimated. We have developed a separation-independent method to identify and characterize tightly-separated (dwarfs as spectral binaries by identifying traces of methane in the spectra of late-M and early-L dwarfs. Imaging follow-up of 17 spectral binaries yielded 3 (18%) resolved systems, corroborating the observed binary fraction, but 5 (29%) known binaries were missed, reinforcing the hypothesis that the short-separation systems are undercounted. In order to find the true binary fraction of brown dwarfs, we have compiled a volume-limited, spectroscopic sample of M7-L5 dwarfs and searched for T dwarf companions. In the 25 pc volume, 4 candidates were found, three of which are already confirmed, leading to a spectral binary fraction of 0.95 ± 0.50%, albeit for a specific combination of spectral types. To extract the true binary fraction and determine the biases of the spectral binary method, we have produced a binary population simulation based on different assumptions of the mass function, age distribution, evolutionary models and mass ratio distribution. Applying the correction fraction resulting from this method to the observed spectral binary fraction yields a true binary fraction of 27 ± 4%, which is roughly within 1σ of the binary fraction obtained from high resolution imaging studies, radial velocity and astrometric monitoring. This method can be extended to identify giant planet companions to young brown

DISCOVERY OF A WIDE BINARY BROWN DWARF BORN IN ISOLATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luhman, K. L.; Allen, P. R.; Mamajek, E. E.; Muench, A. A.; Finkbeiner, D. P.

2009-01-01

During a survey for stars with disks in the Taurus star-forming region using the Spitzer Space Telescope, we have discovered a pair of young brown dwarfs, FU Tau A and B, in the Barnard 215 dark cloud. They have a projected angular separation of 5.''7, corresponding to 800 AU at the distance of Taurus. To assess the nature of these two objects, we have obtained spectra of them and constructed spectral energy distributions. Both sources are young (∼1 Myr) according to their Hα emission, gravity-sensitive spectral features, and mid-infrared excess emission. The proper motion of FU Tau A provides additional evidence of its membership in Taurus. We measure spectral types of M7.25 and M9.25 for FU Tau A and B, respectively, which correspond to masses of ∼0.05 and ∼0.015 M sun according to the evolutionary models of Chabrier and Baraffe. FU Tau A is significantly overluminous relative to an isochrone passing through FU Tau B and relative to other members of Taurus near its spectral type, which may indicate that it is an unresolved binary. FU Tau A and B are likely to be components of a binary system based on the low probability (∼3 x 10 -4 ) that Taurus would produce two unrelated brown dwarfs with a projected separation of a ≤ 6''. Barnard 215 contains only one other young star and is in a remote area of Taurus, making FU Tau A and B the first spectroscopically confirmed brown dwarfs discovered forming in isolation rather than in a stellar cluster or aggregate. Because they were born in isolation and comprise a weakly bound binary, dynamical interactions with stars could not have played a role in their formation, and thus are not essential for the birth of brown dwarfs.

Measuring Atmospheric Abundances and Rotation of a Brown Dwarf with a Measured Mass and Radius

Science.gov (United States)

Birkby, Jayne

2015-08-01

There are no cool brown dwarfs with both a well-characterized atmosphere and a measured mass and radius. LHS 6343, a brown dwarf transiting one member of an M+M binary in the Kepler field, provides the first opportunity to tie theoretical atmospheric models to the observed brown dwarf mass-radius diagram. We propose four half-nights of observations with NIRSPAO in 2015B to measure spectral features in LHS 6343 C by detecting the relative motions of absorption features during the system's orbit. In addition to abundances, we will directly measure the brown dwarf's projected rotational velocity and mass.

Looking for the Coldest Atmospheres: a Search for Planetary Mass Companions around T and Y Brown Dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Fontanive, Clemence

2017-08-01

We propose to obtain WFC3/IR imaging of the very coolest brown dwarfs (T planetary-mass companions to these objects. Companions discovered by this program would likely be analogues of the 250 K brown dwarf WISE 0855 and would provide vital benchmark objects for theoretical models, closing the gap in mass and temperature between brown dwarfs and planets. Finding such an object as a member of a binary system would be even more valuable as it would allow for the measurement of dynamical masses. We recently placed the first constraints to date on the binary frequency for brown dwarfs with spectral types >T8. This program will triple our current sample size, a requirement in order to confirm our current results and compare substellar binary properties for various spectral type and age populations. The WFC3/IR plate will allow us to probe near equal-mass binaries down to separations of 0.2 (2-3 AU for the typical distances of our targets). True cool companions should show strong absorption around 1.4 um as a result of the deep water absorption band observed at that wavelength in substellar spectra. We therefore propose observations in the WFC3 F127M and F139M filters which will allow us to robustly identify bona fide candidates and distinguish them from background stars based on this spectral feature. Most of our targets lack suitable NGS AO guide stars or LGS AO tip-tilt stars to be observed with ground-based telescopes, and the 1.4 um water band is often unobservable from the ground due to telluric water absorption. WFC3 on HST is thus the only instrument suitable for these observations.

THE POST-MERGER MAGNETIZED EVOLUTION OF WHITE DWARF BINARIES: THE DOUBLE-DEGENERATE CHANNEL OF SUB-CHANDRASEKHAR TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE AND THE FORMATION OF MAGNETIZED WHITE DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji Suoqing; Fisher, Robert T.; García-Berro, Enrique; Tzeferacos, Petros; Jordan, George; Lee, Dongwook; Lorén-Aguilar, Pablo; Cremer, Pascal; Behrends, Jan

2013-01-01

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play a crucial role as standardizable cosmological candles, though the nature of their progenitors is a subject of active investigation. Recent observational and theoretical work has pointed to merging white dwarf binaries, referred to as the double-degenerate channel, as the possible progenitor systems for some SNe Ia. Additionally, recent theoretical work suggests that mergers which fail to detonate may produce magnetized, rapidly rotating white dwarfs. In this paper, we present the first multidimensional simulations of the post-merger evolution of white dwarf binaries to include the effect of the magnetic field. In these systems, the two white dwarfs complete a final merger on a dynamical timescale, and are tidally disrupted, producing a rapidly rotating white dwarf merger surrounded by a hot corona and a thick, differentially rotating disk. The disk is strongly susceptible to the magnetorotational instability (MRI), and we demonstrate that this leads to the rapid growth of an initially dynamically weak magnetic field in the disk, the spin-down of the white dwarf merger, and to the subsequent central ignition of the white dwarf merger. Additionally, these magnetized models exhibit new features not present in prior hydrodynamic studies of white dwarf mergers, including the development of MRI turbulence in the hot disk, magnetized outflows carrying a significant fraction of the disk mass, and the magnetization of the white dwarf merger to field strengths ∼2 × 10 8 G. We discuss the impact of our findings on the origins, circumstellar media, and observed properties of SNe Ia and magnetized white dwarfs

The Post-merger Magnetized Evolution of White Dwarf Binaries: The Double-degenerate Channel of Sub-Chandrasekhar Type Ia Supernovae and the Formation of Magnetized White Dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Suoqing; Fisher, Robert T.; García-Berro, Enrique; Tzeferacos, Petros; Jordan, George; Lee, Dongwook; Lorén-Aguilar, Pablo; Cremer, Pascal; Behrends, Jan

2013-08-01

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play a crucial role as standardizable cosmological candles, though the nature of their progenitors is a subject of active investigation. Recent observational and theoretical work has pointed to merging white dwarf binaries, referred to as the double-degenerate channel, as the possible progenitor systems for some SNe Ia. Additionally, recent theoretical work suggests that mergers which fail to detonate may produce magnetized, rapidly rotating white dwarfs. In this paper, we present the first multidimensional simulations of the post-merger evolution of white dwarf binaries to include the effect of the magnetic field. In these systems, the two white dwarfs complete a final merger on a dynamical timescale, and are tidally disrupted, producing a rapidly rotating white dwarf merger surrounded by a hot corona and a thick, differentially rotating disk. The disk is strongly susceptible to the magnetorotational instability (MRI), and we demonstrate that this leads to the rapid growth of an initially dynamically weak magnetic field in the disk, the spin-down of the white dwarf merger, and to the subsequent central ignition of the white dwarf merger. Additionally, these magnetized models exhibit new features not present in prior hydrodynamic studies of white dwarf mergers, including the development of MRI turbulence in the hot disk, magnetized outflows carrying a significant fraction of the disk mass, and the magnetization of the white dwarf merger to field strengths ~2 × 108 G. We discuss the impact of our findings on the origins, circumstellar media, and observed properties of SNe Ia and magnetized white dwarfs.

THE POST-MERGER MAGNETIZED EVOLUTION OF WHITE DWARF BINARIES: THE DOUBLE-DEGENERATE CHANNEL OF SUB-CHANDRASEKHAR TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE AND THE FORMATION OF MAGNETIZED WHITE DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ji Suoqing; Fisher, Robert T. [University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Department of Physics, 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02740 (United States); Garcia-Berro, Enrique [Departament de Fisica Aplicada, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, c/Esteve Terrades, 5, E-08860 Castelldefels (Spain); Tzeferacos, Petros; Jordan, George; Lee, Dongwook [Center for Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Loren-Aguilar, Pablo [School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom); Cremer, Pascal [Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics, Universitaet Bonn, Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn (Germany); Behrends, Jan [Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Arnimallee 14, D-14195 Berlin (Germany)

2013-08-20

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play a crucial role as standardizable cosmological candles, though the nature of their progenitors is a subject of active investigation. Recent observational and theoretical work has pointed to merging white dwarf binaries, referred to as the double-degenerate channel, as the possible progenitor systems for some SNe Ia. Additionally, recent theoretical work suggests that mergers which fail to detonate may produce magnetized, rapidly rotating white dwarfs. In this paper, we present the first multidimensional simulations of the post-merger evolution of white dwarf binaries to include the effect of the magnetic field. In these systems, the two white dwarfs complete a final merger on a dynamical timescale, and are tidally disrupted, producing a rapidly rotating white dwarf merger surrounded by a hot corona and a thick, differentially rotating disk. The disk is strongly susceptible to the magnetorotational instability (MRI), and we demonstrate that this leads to the rapid growth of an initially dynamically weak magnetic field in the disk, the spin-down of the white dwarf merger, and to the subsequent central ignition of the white dwarf merger. Additionally, these magnetized models exhibit new features not present in prior hydrodynamic studies of white dwarf mergers, including the development of MRI turbulence in the hot disk, magnetized outflows carrying a significant fraction of the disk mass, and the magnetization of the white dwarf merger to field strengths {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} G. We discuss the impact of our findings on the origins, circumstellar media, and observed properties of SNe Ia and magnetized white dwarfs.

New Low-mass Eclipsing Binary Systems in Praesepe Discovered by K2

Science.gov (United States)

Gillen, Edward; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; David, Trevor J.; Aigrain, Suzanne; Rebull, Luisa; Stauffer, John; Cody, Ann Marie; Queloz, Didier

2017-11-01

We present the discovery and characterization of four low-mass (Msystems in the sub-Gyr old Praesepe open cluster using Kepler/K2 time series photometry and Keck/HIRES spectroscopy. We present a new Gaussian process EB model, GP-EBOP, as well as a method of simultaneously determining effective temperatures and distances for EBs. Three of the reported systems (AD 3814, AD 2615 and AD 1508) are detached and double-lined, and precise solutions are presented for the first two. We determine masses and radii to 1%-3% precision for AD 3814 and to 5%-6% for AD 2615. Together with effective temperatures determined to ˜50 K precision, we test the PARSEC v1.2 and BHAC15 stellar evolution models. Our EB parameters are more consistent with the PARSEC models, primarily because the BHAC15 temperature scale is hotter than our data over the mid-M-dwarf mass range probed. Both ADs 3814 and 2615, which have orbital periods of 6.0 and 11.6 days, are circularized but not synchronized. This suggests that either synchronization proceeds more slowly in fully convective stars than the theory of equilibrium tides predicts, or magnetic braking is currently playing a more important role than tidal forces in the spin evolution of these binaries. The fourth system (AD 3116) comprises a brown dwarf transiting a mid-M-dwarf, which is the first such system discovered in a sub-Gyr open cluster. Finally, these new discoveries increase the number of characterized EBs in sub-Gyr open clusters by 20% (40%) below M< 1.5 M ⊙ (M< 0.6 M ⊙).

Microlensing discovery of a population of very tight, very low mass binary brown dwarfs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Choi, J.-Y.; Han, C.; Udalski, A.

2013-01-01

the discovery via gravitational microlensing of two very low mass, very tight binary systems. These binaries have directly and precisely measured total system masses of 0.025 M ☉ and 0.034 M ☉, and projected separations of 0.31 AU and 0.19 AU, making them the lowest-mass and tightest field BD binaries known....... The discovery of a population of such binaries indicates that BD binaries can robustly form at least down to masses of ~0.02 M ☉. Future microlensing surveys will measure a mass-selected sample of BD binary systems, which can then be directly compared to similar samples of stellar binaries....

The Mass-to-Light Ratios of the Draco and Ursa Minor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies. II. The Binary Population and Its Effect in the Measured Velocity Dispersions of Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

OpenAIRE

Olszewski, E.; Pryor, C.; Armandroff, T.

1995-01-01

We use a large set of radial velocities in the Ursa Minor and Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxies to search for binary stars and to infer the binary frequency. Of the 118 stars in our sample with multiple observations, six are velocity variables with $\\chi^2$ probabilities below 0.001. We use Monte Carlo simulations that mimic our observations to determine the efficiency with which our observations find binary stars. Our best, though significantly uncertain, estimate of the binary frequency for s...

WISE BROWN DWARF BINARIES: THE DISCOVERY OF A T5+T5 AND A T8.5+T9 SYSTEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gelino, Christopher R.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Griffith, Roger L.; Marsh, Kenneth A.; Cushing, Michael C.; Eisenhardt, Peter R.; Mainzer, Amanda K.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Wright, Edward L.

2011-01-01

The multiplicity properties of brown dwarfs are critical empirical constraints for formation theories, while multiples themselves provide unique opportunities to test evolutionary and atmospheric models and examine empirical trends. Studies using high-resolution imaging cannot only uncover faint companions, but they can also be used to determine dynamical masses through long-term monitoring of binary systems. We have begun a search for the coolest brown dwarfs using preliminary processing of data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and have confirmed many of the candidates as late-type T dwarfs. In order to search for companions to these objects, we are conducting observations using the Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics system on Keck II. Here we present the first results of that search, including a T5 binary with nearly equal mass components and a faint companion to a T8.5 dwarf with an estimated spectral type of T9.

A systematic search for brown dwarfs orbiting nearby stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henry, T.J.; Mccarthy, D.W. Jr.

1990-01-01

Survey data for brown dwarf and stellar companions relative to known M dwarf stars within 5 pc north of -30 deg are analyzed. A region 0.2 to 5 arcsec in radius around 27 stars at the IR H and K bands are examined using IR speckle interferometry. The frequency of binary versus single M dwarfs in the solar neighborhood is examined. The IR mass-magnitude relations and mass-luminosity-age relation are studied. The data reveal that there are 19 single M dwarfs, 8 M dwarf binaries, 1 M dwarf triple system, and 1 M dwarf in a triple system for M dwarfs within 5 pc north of -30 deg. Also of the 27 M dwarfs studied none was found to have a brown dwarf companion. 64 refs

Mass loss from interacting close binary systems

Science.gov (United States)

Plavec, M. J.

1981-01-01

The three well-defined classes of evolved binary systems that show evidence of present and/or past mass loss are the cataclysmic variables, the Algols, and Wolf-Rayet stars. It is thought that the transformation of supergiant binary systems into the very short-period cataclysmic variables must have been a complex process. The new evidence that has recently been obtained from the far ultraviolet spectra that a certain subclass of the Algols (the Serpentids) are undergoing fairly rapid evolution is discussed. It is thought probable that the remarkable mass outflow observed in them is connected with a strong wind powered by accretion. The origin of the circumbinary clouds or flat disks that probably surround many strongly interacting binaries is not clear. Attention is also given to binary systems with hot white dwarf or subdwarf components, such as the symbiotic objects and the BQ stars; it is noted that in them both components may be prone to an enhanced stellar wind.

WD0837+185: THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF AN EXTREME MASS-RATIO WHITE-DWARF-BROWN-DWARF BINARY IN PRAESEPE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casewell, S. L.; Burleigh, M. R.; Wynn, G. A.; Alexander, R. D.; Lawrie, K. A.; Jameson, R. F.; Napiwotzki, R.; Dobbie, P. D.; Hodgkin, S. T.

2012-01-01

There is a striking and unexplained dearth of brown dwarf companions in close orbits ( ☉ (B9). The high mass of the white dwarf means the substellar companion must have been engulfed by the B star's envelope while it was on the late asymptotic giant branch (AGB). Hence, the initial separation of the system was ∼2 AU, with common envelope evolution reducing the separation to its current value. The initial and final orbital separations allow us to constrain the combination of the common envelope efficiency (α) and binding energy parameters (λ) for the AGB star to αλ ∼ 3. We examine the various formation scenarios and conclude that the substellar object was most likely captured by the white dwarf progenitor early in the life of the cluster, rather than forming in situ.

The double helium-white dwarf channel for the formation of AM CVn binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xian-Fei; Liu, Jin-Zhong; Jeffery, C. Simon; Hall, Philip D.; Bi, Shao-Lan

2018-01-01

Most close double helium white dwarfs will merge within a Hubble time due to orbital decay by gravitational wave radiation. However, a significant fraction with low mass ratios will survive for a long time as a consequence of stable mass transfer. Such stable mass transfer between two helium white dwarfs (HeWDs) provides one channel for the production of AM CVn binary stars. In previous calculations of double HeWD progenitors, the accreting HeWD was treated as a point mass. We have computed the evolution of 16 double HeWD models in order to investigate the consequences of treating the evolution of both components in detail. We find that the boundary between binaries having stable and unstable mass transfer is slightly modified by this approach. By comparing with observed periods and mass ratios, we redetermine masses of eight known AM CVn stars by our double HeWDs channel, i.e. HM Cnc, AM CVn, V406 Hya, J0926, J1240, GP Com, Gaia14aae and V396 Hya.We propose that central spikes in the triple-peaked emission spectra of J1240, GP Com and V396 Hya and the surface abundance ratios of N/C/O in GP Com can be explained by the stable double HeWD channel. The mass estimates derived from our calculations are used to discuss the predicted gravitational wave signal in the context of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) project.

Discovery of A Young L Dwarf Binary, SDSS J224953.47+004404.6AB

Science.gov (United States)

Allers, K. N.; Liu, Michael C.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Cushing, Michael C.

2010-05-01

We report discovery of a young 0farcs32 L dwarf binary, SDSS J2249+0044AB, found as the result of a Keck laser guide star adaptive optics imaging survey of young field brown dwarfs. Weak K I, Na I, and FeH features as well as strong VO absorption in the integrated-light J-band spectrum indicate a low surface gravity and hence young age for the system. From spatially resolved K-band spectra we determine spectral types of L3 ± 0.5 and L5 ± 1 for components A and B, respectively. SDSS J2249+0044A is spectrally very similar to G196-3B, an L3 companion to a young M2.5 field dwarf. Thus, we adopt 100 Myr (the age estimate of the G196-3 system) as the age of SDSS J2249+0044AB, but ages of 12-790 Myr are possible. By comparing our photometry to the absolute magnitudes of G196-3B, we estimate a distance to SDSS J2249+0044AB of 54 ± 16 pc and infer a projected separation of 17 ± 5 AU for the binary. Comparison of the luminosities to evolutionary models at an age of 100 Myr yields masses of 0.029 ± 0.006 and 0.022+0.006 -0.009 M sun for SDSS J2249+0044A and B, respectively. Over the possible ages of the system (12-790 Myr), the mass of SDSS J2249+0044A could range from 0.011 to 0.070 M sun and the mass of SDSS J2249+0044B could range from 0.009 to 0.065 M sun. Evolutionary models predict that either component could be burning deuterium, which could result in a mass ratio as low as 0.4, or alternatively, a reversal in the luminosities of the binary. We find a likely proper motion companion, GSC 00568-01752, which lies 48farcs9 away (a projected separation of 2600 AU) and has Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Two Micron All Sky Survey colors consistent with an early M dwarf. We calculate a photometric distance to GSC 00568-01752 of 53 ± 15 pc, in good agreement with our distance estimate for SDSS J2249+0044AB. The space motion of SDSS J2249+0044AB shows no obvious coincidence with known young moving groups, though radial velocity and parallax measurements are necessary to

WHITE DWARF/M DWARF BINARIES AS SINGLE DEGENERATE PROGENITORS OF TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheeler, J. Craig

2012-01-01

Limits on the companions of white dwarfs in the single-degenerate scenario for the origin of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) have gotten increasingly tight, yet igniting a nearly Chandrasekhar mass C/O white dwarf from a condition of near hydrostatic equilibrium provides compelling agreement with observed spectral evolution. The only type of non-degenerate stars that survive the tight limits, M V ∼> 8.4 on the SN Ia in SNR 0509-67.5 and M V ∼> 9.5 in the remnant of SN 1572, are M dwarfs. While M dwarfs are observed in cataclysmic variables, they have special properties that have not been considered in most work on the progenitors of SNe Ia: they have small but finite magnetic fields and they flare frequently. These properties are explored in the context of SN Ia progenitors. White dwarf/M dwarf pairs may be sufficiently plentiful to provide, in principle, an adequate rate of explosions even with slow orbital evolution due to magnetic braking or gravitational radiation. Even modest magnetic fields on the white dwarf and M dwarf will yield adequate torques to lock the two stars together, resulting in a slowly rotating white dwarf, with the magnetic poles pointing at one another in the orbital plane. The mass loss will be channeled by a 'magnetic bottle' connecting the two stars, landing on a concentrated polar area on the white dwarf. This enhances the effective rate of accretion compared to spherical accretion. Luminosity from accretion and hydrogen burning on the surface of the white dwarf may induce self-excited mass transfer. The combined effects of self-excited mass loss, polar accretion, and magnetic inhibition of mixing of accretion layers give possible means to beat the 'nova limit' and grow the white dwarf to the Chandrasekhar mass even at rather moderate mass accretion rates.

The Orbit of the L Dwarf + T Dwarf Spectral Binary SDSS J080531.84+481233.0

Science.gov (United States)

Burgasser, Adam J.; Blake, Cullen H.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Sahlmann, Johannes; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella

2016-08-01

SDSS J080531.84+481233.0 is a closely separated, very-low-mass (VLM) binary identified through combined-light spectroscopy and confirmed as an astrometric variable. Here we report four years of radial velocity monitoring observations of the system that reveal significant and periodic variability, confirming the binary nature of the source. We infer an orbital period of 2.02 ± 0.03 years, a semimajor axis of 0.76{}-0.06+0.05 au, and an eccenticity of 0.46 ± 0.05, consistent with the amplitude of astrometric variability and prior attempts to resolve the system. Folding in constraints based on the spectral types of the components (L4 ± 0.7 and T5.5 ± 1.1), corresponding effective temperatures, and brown dwarf evolutionary models, we further constrain the orbital inclination of this system to be nearly edge-on (90° ± 19°), and deduce a large system mass ratio (M 2/M 1 = {0.86}-0.12+0.10), substellar components (M 1 = {0.057}-0.014+0.016 M ⊙, M 2 = {0.048}-0.010+0.008 M ⊙), and a relatively old system age (minimum age = {4.0}-1.2+1.9 Gyr). The measured projected rotational velocity of the primary ({V}{rot}\\sin I = 34.1 ± 0.7 km s-1) implies that this inactive source is a rapid rotator (period ≲ 3 hr) and a viable system for testing spin-orbit alignment in VLM multiples. Robust model-independent constraints on the component masses may be possible through measurement of the reflex motion of the secondary at wavelengths in which it contributes a greater proportion of the combined luminence, while the system may also be resolvable through sparse-aperature mask interferometry with adaptive optics. The combination of well-determined component atmospheric properties and masses near and/or below the hydrogen minimum mass make SDSS J0805+4812AB an important system for future tests of brown dwarf evolutionary models. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California

Evolution models of helium white dwarf-main-sequence star merger remnants: the mass distribution of single low-mass white dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xianfei; Hall, Philip D.; Jeffery, C. Simon; Bi, Shaolan

2018-02-01

It is not known how single white dwarfs with masses less than 0.5Msolar -- low-mass white dwarfs -- are formed. One way in which such a white dwarf might be formed is after the merger of a helium-core white dwarf with a main-sequence star that produces a red giant branch star and fails to ignite helium. We use a stellar-evolution code to compute models of the remnants of these mergers and find a relation between the pre-merger masses and the final white dwarf mass. Combining our results with a model population, we predict that the mass distribution of single low-mass white dwarfs formed through this channel spans the range 0.37 to 0.5Msolar and peaks between 0.45 and 0.46Msolar. Helium white dwarf--main-sequence star mergers can also lead to the formation of single helium white dwarfs with masses up to 0.51Msolar. In our model the Galactic formation rate of single low-mass white dwarfs through this channel is about 8.7X10^-3yr^-1. Comparing our models with observations, we find that the majority of single low-mass white dwarfs (<0.5Msolar) are formed from helium white dwarf--main-sequence star mergers, at a rate which is about $2$ per cent of the total white dwarf formation rate.

SPIRAL INSTABILITY CAN DRIVE THERMONUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS IN BINARY WHITE DWARF MERGERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashyap, Rahul; Fisher, Robert; García-Berro, Enrique; Aznar-Siguán, Gabriela; Ji, Suoqing; Lorén-Aguilar, Pablo

2015-01-01

Thermonuclear, or Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), originate from the explosion of carbon–oxygen white dwarfs, and serve as standardizable cosmological candles. However, despite their importance, the nature of the progenitor systems that give rise to SNe Ia has not been hitherto elucidated. Observational evidence favors the double-degenerate channel in which merging white dwarf binaries lead to SNe Ia. Furthermore, significant discrepancies exist between observations and theory, and to date, there has been no self-consistent merger model that yields a SNe Ia. Here we show that a spiral mode instability in the accretion disk formed during a binary white dwarf merger leads to a detonation on a dynamical timescale. This mechanism sheds light on how white dwarf mergers may frequently yield SNe Ia

SPIRAL INSTABILITY CAN DRIVE THERMONUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS IN BINARY WHITE DWARF MERGERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kashyap, Rahul; Fisher, Robert [Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02740 (United States); García-Berro, Enrique; Aznar-Siguán, Gabriela [Departament de Física Aplicada, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, c/Esteve Terrades, 5, E-08860 Castelldefels (Spain); Ji, Suoqing [Department of Physics, Broida Hall, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106–9530 (United States); Lorén-Aguilar, Pablo [School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom)

2015-02-10

Thermonuclear, or Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), originate from the explosion of carbon–oxygen white dwarfs, and serve as standardizable cosmological candles. However, despite their importance, the nature of the progenitor systems that give rise to SNe Ia has not been hitherto elucidated. Observational evidence favors the double-degenerate channel in which merging white dwarf binaries lead to SNe Ia. Furthermore, significant discrepancies exist between observations and theory, and to date, there has been no self-consistent merger model that yields a SNe Ia. Here we show that a spiral mode instability in the accretion disk formed during a binary white dwarf merger leads to a detonation on a dynamical timescale. This mechanism sheds light on how white dwarf mergers may frequently yield SNe Ia.

Constraints on the binary properties of mid- to late T dwarfs from Hubble space telescope WFC3 observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aberasturi, M.; Solano, E.; Burgasser, A. J.; Mora, A.; Martín, E. L.; Reid, I. N.; Looper, D.

2014-01-01

We used Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) observations of a sample of 26 nearby (≤20 pc) mid- to late T dwarfs to search for cooler companions and measure the multiplicity statistics of brown dwarfs (BDs). Tightly separated companions were searched for using a double point-spread-function-fitting algorithm. We also compared our detection limits based on simulations to other prior T5+ BD binary programs. No new wide or tight companions were identified, which is consistent with the number of known T5+ binary systems and the resolution limits of WFC3. We use our results to add new constraints to the binary fraction (BF) of T-type BDs. Modeling selection effects and adopting previously derived separation and mass ratio distributions, we find an upper limit total BF of <16% and <25% assuming power law and flat mass ratio distributions, respectively, which are consistent with previous results. We also characterize a handful of targets around the L/T transition.

The Binary Dwarf Carbon Star SDSS J125017.90+252427.6

Science.gov (United States)

Margon, Bruce; Kupfer, Thomas; Burdge, Kevin; Prince, Thomas A.; Kulkarni, Shrinivas R.; Shupe, David L.

2018-03-01

Although dwarf carbon (dC) stars are universally thought to be binaries in order to explain the presence of C 2 in their spectra while still near main-sequence luminosity, direct observational evidence for their binarity is remarkably scarce. Here, we report the detection of a 2.92 day periodicity in both the photometry and radial velocity of SDSS J125017.90+252427.6, an r = 16.4 dC star. This is the first photometric binary dC, and only the second dC spectroscopic binary. The relative phase of the photometric period to the spectroscopic observations suggests that the photometric variations are a reflection effect due to heating from an unseen companion. The observed radial velocity amplitude of the dC component (K = 98.8 ± 10.7 km s‑1) is consistent with a white dwarf companion, presumably the evolved star that earlier donated the carbon to the dC, although substantial orbital evolution must have occurred. Large synoptic photometric surveys such as the Palomar Transient Factory, which was used for this work, may prove useful for identifying binaries among the shorter-period dC stars.

Microlensing Binaries with Candidate Brown Dwarf Companions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shin, I.-G; Han, C.; Gould, A.

2012-01-01

masses of the brown dwarf companions are 0.02 ± 0.01 M⊙ and 0.019 ± 0.002 M⊙ for MOA-2011-BLG-104/OGLE-2011-BLG-0172 and MOA-2011-BLG-149, respectively, and both companions are orbiting low-mass M dwarf host stars. More microlensing brown dwarfs are expected to be detected as the number of lensing events...

Discovery of a Detached, Eclipsing 40 Minute Period Double White Dwarf Binary and a Friend: Implications for He+CO White Dwarf Mergers

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Warren R.; Kilic, Mukremin; Kosakowski, Alekzander; Gianninas, A.

2017-09-01

We report the discovery of two detached double white dwarf (WD) binaries, SDSS J082239.546+304857.19 and SDSS J104336.275+055149.90, with orbital periods of 40 and 46 minutes, respectively. The 40 minute system is eclipsing; it is composed of a 0.30 M ⊙ and a 0.52 M ⊙ WD. The 46 minute system is a likely LISA verification binary. The short 20 ± 2 Myr and ˜34 Myr gravitational-wave merger times of the two binaries imply that many more such systems have formed and merged over the age of the Milky Way. We update the estimated Milky Way He+CO WD binary merger rate and affirm our previously published result: He+CO WD binaries merge at a rate at least 40 times greater than the formation rate of stable mass-transfer AM CVn binaries, and so the majority must have unstable mass-transfer. The implication is that spin-orbit coupling in He+CO WD mergers is weak, or perhaps nova-like outbursts drive He+CO WDs into merger, as proposed by Shen. Based on observations obtained at the MMT Observatory, a joint facility of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona, and on observations obtained with the Apache Point Observatory 3.5 m telescope, which is owned and operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium.

IUE spectrophotometry of the DA4 primary in the short-period white dwarf-red dwarf spectroscopic binary Case 1

Science.gov (United States)

Sion, E. M.; Guinan, E. F.; Wesemael, F.

1984-01-01

Low-resolution ultraviolet International Ultraviolet Explorer spectra of the DA white dwarf Case 1 are presented. The spectra show the presence of the 1400 A feature, already discovered in several other DA stars, and of a shallower trough in the 1550-1700 A range. A model atmosphere analysis of the ultraviolet energy distribution of the Ly-alpha red wing yields T(e) = 13,000 + or - 500 K. Possible interpretations of the 1400 A feature are reviewed. Case 1 is the coolest white dwarf found in a short-period, detached white dwarf-red dwarf binary, and its cooling time is consistent with estimates of the efficiency of angular momentum removal mechanisms in the phases subsequent to common envelope binary evolution.

Giant Planet Candidates, Brown Dwarfs, and Binaries from the SDSS-III MARVELS Planet Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Neil; Ge, Jian; Li, Rui; de Lee, Nathan M.; Heslar, Michael; Ma, Bo; SDSS-Iii Marvels Team

2015-01-01

We report the discoveries of giant planet candidates, brown dwarfs, and binaries from the SDSS-III MARVELS survey. The finalized 1D pipeline has provided 18 giant planet candidates, 16 brown dwarfs, and over 500 binaries. An additional 96 targets having RV variability indicative of a giant planet companion are also reported for future investigation. These candidates are found using the advanced MARVELS 1D data pipeline developed at UF from scratch over the past three years. This pipeline carefully corrects most of the instrument effects (such as trace, slant, distortion, drifts and dispersion) and observation condition effects (such as illumination profile, fiber degradation, and tracking variations). The result is long-term RV precisions that approach the photon limits in many cases for the ~89,000 individual stellar observations. A 2D version of the pipeline that uses interferometric information is nearing completion and is demonstrating a reduction of errors to half the current levels. The 2D processing will be used to increase the robustness of the detections presented here and to find new candidates in RV regions not confidently detectable with the 1D pipeline. The MARVELS survey has produced the largest homogeneous RV measurements of 3300 V=7.6-12 FGK stars with a well defined cadence of 27 RV measurements over 2 years. The MARVELS RV data and other follow-up data (photometry, high contrast imaging, high resolution spectroscopy and RV measurements) will explore the diversity of giant planet companion formation and evolution around stars with a broad range in metallicity (Fe/H -1.5-0.5), mass ( 0.6-2.5M(sun)), and environment (thin disk and thick disk), and will help to address the key scientific questions identified for the MARVELS survey including, but not limited to: Do metal poor stars obey the same trends for planet occurrence as metal rich stars? What is the distribution of giant planets around intermediate-mass stars and binaries? Is the 'planet desert

Spectral Variability of Two Rapidly Rotating Brown Dwarfs: 2MASS J08354256-0819237 and 2MASS J18212815+1414010

OpenAIRE

Schlawin, Everett; Burgasser, Adam J.; Karalidi, Theodora; Gizis, John; Teske, Johanna

2017-01-01

L dwarfs exhibit low-level, rotationally-modulated photometric variability generally associated with heterogeneous, cloud-covered atmospheres. The spectral character of these variations yields insight into the particle sizes and vertical structure of the clouds. Here we present the results of a high precision, ground-based, near-infrared, spectral monitoring study of two mid-type L dwarfs that have variability reported in the literature, 2MASS J08354256-0819237 and 2MASS J18212815+1414010, us...

On type Ia supernovae and the formation of single low-mass white dwarfs

OpenAIRE

Justham, Stephen; Wolf, Christian; Podsiadlowski, Philipp; Han, Zhanwen

2008-01-01

There is still considerable debate over the progenitors of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Likewise, it is not agreed how single white dwarfs with masses less than ~0.5 Msun can be formed in the field, even though they are known to exist. We consider whether single low-mass white dwarfs (LMWDs) could have been formed in binary systems where their companions have exploded as a SN Ia. In this model, the observed single LMWDs are the remnants of giant-branch donor stars whose envelopes have been st...

DISCOVERY OF A BRIGHT, EXTREMELY LOW MASS WHITE DWARF IN A CLOSE DOUBLE DEGENERATE SYSTEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vennes, S.; Kawka, A.; Nemeth, P.; Thorstensen, J. R.; Skinner, J. N.; Pigulski, A.; Steslicki, M.; Kolaczkowski, Z.; Srodka, P.

2011-01-01

We report the discovery of a bright (V ∼ 13.7), extremely low mass white dwarf in a close double degenerate system. We originally selected GALEX J171708.5+675712 for spectroscopic follow-up among a group of white dwarf candidates in an ultraviolet-optical reduced proper-motion diagram. The new white dwarf has a mass of 0.18 M sun and is the primary component of a close double degenerate system (P = 0.246137 days, K 1 = 288 km s -1 ) comprising a fainter white dwarf secondary with M 2 ∼ 0.9 M sun . Light curves phased with the orbital ephemeris show evidence of relativistic beaming and weaker ellipsoidal variations. The light curves also reveal secondary eclipses (depth ∼8 mmag) while the primary eclipses appear partially compensated by the secondary gravitational deflection and are below detection limits. Photospheric abundance measurements show a nearly solar composition of Si, Ca, and Fe (0.1-1 sun), while the normal kinematics suggest a relatively recent formation history. Close binary evolutionary scenarios suggest that extremely low mass white dwarfs form via a common-envelope phase and possible Roche lobe overflow.

A TARGETED SEARCH FOR PECULIARLY RED L AND T DWARFS IN SDSS, 2MASS, AND WISE: DISCOVERY OF A POSSIBLE L7 MEMBER OF THE TW HYDRAE ASSOCIATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kellogg, Kendra; Metchev, Stanimir [Western University, Centre for Planetary and Space Exploration, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 3K7 (Canada); Geißler, Kerstin; Hicks, Shannon [Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11790 (United States); Kirkpatrick, J. Davy [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, Mail Code 100-22, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Kurtev, Radostin, E-mail: kkellogg@uwo.ca, E-mail: smetchev@uwo.ca [Instituto de Física y Astronomía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Ave. Gran Bretaña 1111, Playa Ancha, Casilla 53, Valparaíso (Chile)

2015-12-15

We present the first results from a targeted search for brown dwarfs with unusual red colors indicative of peculiar atmospheric characteristics. These include objects with low surface gravities or with unusual dust content or cloud properties. From a positional cross-match of SDSS, 2MASS, and WISE, we have identified 40 candidate peculiar early-L to early-T dwarfs that are either new objects or have not been identified as peculiar through prior spectroscopy. Using low-resolution spectra, we confirm that 10 of the candidates are either peculiar or potential L/T binaries. With a J − K{sub s} color of 2.62 ± 0.15 mag, one of the new objects—the L7 dwarf 2MASS J11193254–1137466—is among the reddest field dwarfs currently known. Its proper motion and photometric parallax indicate that it is a possible member of the TW Hydrae moving group. If confirmed, it would be the lowest-mass (5–6 M{sub Jup}) free-floating member. We also report a new T dwarf, 2MASS J22153705+2110554, that was previously overlooked in the SDSS footprint. These new discoveries demonstrate that despite the considerable scrutiny already devoted to the SDSS and 2MASS surveys, our exploration of these data sets is not yet complete.

A TARGETED SEARCH FOR PECULIARLY RED L AND T DWARFS IN SDSS, 2MASS, AND WISE: DISCOVERY OF A POSSIBLE L7 MEMBER OF THE TW HYDRAE ASSOCIATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kellogg, Kendra; Metchev, Stanimir; Geißler, Kerstin; Hicks, Shannon; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Kurtev, Radostin

2015-01-01

We present the first results from a targeted search for brown dwarfs with unusual red colors indicative of peculiar atmospheric characteristics. These include objects with low surface gravities or with unusual dust content or cloud properties. From a positional cross-match of SDSS, 2MASS, and WISE, we have identified 40 candidate peculiar early-L to early-T dwarfs that are either new objects or have not been identified as peculiar through prior spectroscopy. Using low-resolution spectra, we confirm that 10 of the candidates are either peculiar or potential L/T binaries. With a J − K s color of 2.62 ± 0.15 mag, one of the new objects—the L7 dwarf 2MASS J11193254–1137466—is among the reddest field dwarfs currently known. Its proper motion and photometric parallax indicate that it is a possible member of the TW Hydrae moving group. If confirmed, it would be the lowest-mass (5–6 M Jup ) free-floating member. We also report a new T dwarf, 2MASS J22153705+2110554, that was previously overlooked in the SDSS footprint. These new discoveries demonstrate that despite the considerable scrutiny already devoted to the SDSS and 2MASS surveys, our exploration of these data sets is not yet complete

DISCOVERY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF WIDE BINARY SYSTEMS WITH A VERY LOW MASS COMPONENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baron, Frédérique; Lafrenière, David; Artigau, Étienne; Doyon, René; Gagné, Jonathan; Robert, Jasmin; Nadeau, Daniel [Département de Physique, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Qc H3C 3J7 (Canada); Davison, Cassy L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303 (United States); Malo, Lison [Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, 65–1238 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kamuela, HI 96743 (United States); Reylé, Céline, E-mail: baron@astro.umontreal.ca [Institut Utinam, CNRS UMR6213, Université de Franche-Comté, OSU THETA Franche-Comté-Bourgogne, Observatoire de Besançon, BP 1615, F-25010 Besançon Cedex (France)

2015-03-20

We report the discovery of 14 low-mass binary systems containing mid-M to mid-L dwarf companions with separations larger than 250 AU. We also report the independent discovery of nine other systems with similar characteristics that were recently discovered in other studies. We have identified these systems by searching for common proper motion sources in the vicinity of known high proper motion stars, based on a cross-correlation of wide area near-infrared surveys (2MASS, SDSS, and SIMP). An astrometric follow-up, for common proper motion confirmation, was made with SIMON and/or CPAPIR at the Observatoire du Mont Mégantic 1.6 m and CTIO 1.5 m telescopes for all the candidates identified. A spectroscopic follow-up was also made with GMOS or GNIRS at Gemini to determine the spectral types of 11 of our newly identified companions and 10 of our primaries. Statistical arguments are provided to show that all of the systems we report here are very likely to be physical binaries. One of the new systems reported features a brown dwarf companion: LSPM J1259+1001 (M5) has an L4.5 (2M1259+1001) companion at ∼340 AU. This brown dwarf was previously unknown. Seven other systems have a companion of spectral type L0–L1 at a separation in the 250–7500 AU range. Our sample includes 14 systems with a mass ratio below 0.3.

DISCOVERY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF WIDE BINARY SYSTEMS WITH A VERY LOW MASS COMPONENT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baron, Frédérique; Lafrenière, David; Artigau, Étienne; Doyon, René; Gagné, Jonathan; Robert, Jasmin; Nadeau, Daniel; Davison, Cassy L.; Malo, Lison; Reylé, Céline

2015-01-01

We report the discovery of 14 low-mass binary systems containing mid-M to mid-L dwarf companions with separations larger than 250 AU. We also report the independent discovery of nine other systems with similar characteristics that were recently discovered in other studies. We have identified these systems by searching for common proper motion sources in the vicinity of known high proper motion stars, based on a cross-correlation of wide area near-infrared surveys (2MASS, SDSS, and SIMP). An astrometric follow-up, for common proper motion confirmation, was made with SIMON and/or CPAPIR at the Observatoire du Mont Mégantic 1.6 m and CTIO 1.5 m telescopes for all the candidates identified. A spectroscopic follow-up was also made with GMOS or GNIRS at Gemini to determine the spectral types of 11 of our newly identified companions and 10 of our primaries. Statistical arguments are provided to show that all of the systems we report here are very likely to be physical binaries. One of the new systems reported features a brown dwarf companion: LSPM J1259+1001 (M5) has an L4.5 (2M1259+1001) companion at ∼340 AU. This brown dwarf was previously unknown. Seven other systems have a companion of spectral type L0–L1 at a separation in the 250–7500 AU range. Our sample includes 14 systems with a mass ratio below 0.3

EVOLUTION OF CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES AND RELATED BINARIES CONTAINING A WHITE DWARF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalomeni, B.; Rappaport, S.; Molnar, M.; Nelson, L.; Quintin, J.; Yakut, K.

2016-01-01

We present a binary evolution study of cataclysmic variables (CVs) and related systems with white dwarf (WD) accretors, including for example, AM CVn systems, classical novae, supersoft X-ray sources (SXSs), and systems with giant donor stars. Our approach intentionally avoids the complications associated with population synthesis algorithms, thereby allowing us to present the first truly comprehensive exploration of all of the subsequent binary evolution pathways that zero-age CVs might follow (assuming fully non-conservative, Roche-lobe overflow onto an accreting WD) using the sophisticated binary stellar evolution code MESA. The grid consists of 56,000 initial models, including 14 WD accretor masses, 43 donor-star masses (0.1–4.7 M ⊙ ), and 100 orbital periods. We explore evolution tracks in the orbital period and donor-mass ( P orb – M don ) plane in terms of evolution dwell times, masses of the WD accretor, accretion rate, and chemical composition of the center and surface of the donor star. We report on the differences among the standard CV tracks, those with giant donor stars, and ultrashort period systems. We show where in parameter space one can expect to find SXSs, present a diagnostic to distinguish among different evolutionary paths to forming AM CVn binaries, quantify how the minimum orbital period in CVs depends on the chemical composition of the donor star, and update the P orb ( M wd ) relation for binaries containing WDs whose progenitors lost their envelopes via stable Roche-lobe overflow. Finally, we indicate where in the P orb – M don the accretion disks will tend to be stable against the thermal-viscous instability, and where gravitational radiation signatures may be found with LISA.

The Brown Dwarf Kinematics Project (BDKP. III. Parallaxes for 70 Ultracool Dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-10

a low surface gravity dwarf, Cal is a calibrator ultracool dwarf, SD is an ultracool subdwarf, B is a tight binary unresolved in 2MASS . d F indicates...procedure described in Vrba et al. (2004), we obtained 2MASS photometry for all reference stars. We com- pared with the intrinsic colors described in...140.5 ± 5.8 38.44 ± 2.83 −1191.00 ± 13.00 −115.00 ± 13.00 A 1 2MASS J0746+2000 86.2 ± 4.6 −355.9 ± 5.1 −63.7 ± 5.2 81.90 ± 0.30 −374.04 ± 0.31 −57.91

Multi-Messenger Astronomy: White Dwarf Binaries, LISA and GAIA

Science.gov (United States)

Bueno, Michael; Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane L.

2017-01-01

The discovery of gravitational waves has ushered in a new era in astronomy. The low-frequency band covered by the future LISA detector provides unprecedented opportunities for multi-messenger astronomy. With the Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics (GAIA) mission, we expect to discover about 1,000 eclipsing binary systems composed of a WD and a main sequence star - a sizeable increase from the approximately 34 currently known binaries of this type. In advance of the first GAIA data release and the launch of LISA within the next decade, we used the Binary Stellar Evolution (BSE) code simulate the evolution of White Dwarf Binaries (WDB) in a fixed galaxy population of about 196,000 sources. Our goal is to assess the detectability of a WDB by LISA and GAIA using the parameters from our population synthesis, we calculate GW strength h, and apparent GAIA magnitude G. We can then use a scale factor to make a prediction of how many multi- messenger sources we expect to be detectable by both LISA and GAIA in a galaxy the size of the Milky Way. We create binaries 10 times to ensure randomness in distance assignment and average our results. We then determined whether or not astronomical chirp is the difference between the total chirp and the GW chirp. With Astronomical chirp and simulations of mass transfer and tides, we can gather more information about the internal astrophysics of stars in ultra-compact binary systems.

A SEARCH FOR PHOTOMETRIC VARIABILITY IN L- AND T-TYPE BROWN DWARF ATMOSPHERES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khandrika, Harish; Burgasser, Adam J.; Melis, Carl; Luk, Christopher; Bowsher, Emily; Swift, Brandon

2013-01-01

Using the Gemini infrared camera on the 3 m Shane telescope at Lick Observatory, we have searched for broadband J and K' photometric variability for a sample of 15 L- and T-type brown dwarfs, including 7 suspected spectral binaries. Four of the dwarfs—2MASS J0939–2448, 2MASS J1416+1348A, 2MASS J1711+2232, and 2MASS J2139+0220—exhibit statistically significant variations over timescales ranging from ∼0.5 hr to 6 days. Our detection of variability in 2MASS J2139+0220 confirms that reported by Radigan et al., and periodogram and phase dispersion minimization analysis also confirms a variability period of approximately 7.6 ± 0.2 hr. Remarkably, two of the four variables are known or candidate binary systems, including 2MASS J2139+0220, for which we find only marginal evidence of radial velocity variation over the course of a year. This result suggests that some spectral binary candidates may appear as such due to the blending of cloudy and non-cloudy regions in a single ''patchy'' atmosphere. Our results are consistent with an overall variability fraction of 35% ± 5%, with no clear evidence of greater variability among brown dwarfs at the L dwarf/T dwarf transition.

LONG-TERM EVOLUTION OF DOUBLE WHITE DWARF BINARIES ACCRETING THROUGH DIRECT IMPACT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kremer, Kyle; Kalogera, Vassiliki; Sepinsky, Jeremy

2015-01-01

We calculate the long-term evolution of angular momentum in double white dwarf binaries undergoing direct impact accretion over a broad range of parameter space. We allow the rotation rate of both components to vary and account for the exchange of angular momentum between the spins of the white dwarfs and the orbit, while conserving the total angular momentum. We include gravitational, tidal, and mass transfer effects in the orbital evolution, and allow the Roche radius of the donor star to vary with both the stellar mass and the rotation rate. We examine the long-term stability of these systems, focusing in particular on those systems that may be progenitors of AM CVn or SNe Ia. We find that our analysis yields an increase in the predicted number of stable systems compared to that in previous studies. Additionally, we find that by properly accounting for the effects of asynchronism between the donor and the orbit on the Roche-lobe size, we eliminate oscillations in the orbital parameters, which were found in previous studies. Removing these oscillations can reduce the peak mass transfer rate in some systems, keeping them from entering an unstable mass transfer phase

EVOLUTION OF CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES AND RELATED BINARIES CONTAINING A WHITE DWARF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalomeni, B.; Rappaport, S.; Molnar, M. [Department of Physics, and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Nelson, L. [Department of Physics, Bishop’s University, 2600 College St., Sherbrooke, Quebec, QC J1M 1Z7 (Canada); Quintin, J. [Department of Physics, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2T8 (Canada); Yakut, K., E-mail: kalomeni@mit.edu, E-mail: sar@mit.edu, E-mail: momchil.molnar@gmail.com, E-mail: belinda.kalomeni@ege.edu.tr, E-mail: kadri.yakut@ege.edu.tr, E-mail: lnelson@ubishops.ca, E-mail: jquintin@physics.mcgill.ca [Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences, Ege University, 35100, İzmir (Turkey)

2016-12-10

We present a binary evolution study of cataclysmic variables (CVs) and related systems with white dwarf (WD) accretors, including for example, AM CVn systems, classical novae, supersoft X-ray sources (SXSs), and systems with giant donor stars. Our approach intentionally avoids the complications associated with population synthesis algorithms, thereby allowing us to present the first truly comprehensive exploration of all of the subsequent binary evolution pathways that zero-age CVs might follow (assuming fully non-conservative, Roche-lobe overflow onto an accreting WD) using the sophisticated binary stellar evolution code MESA. The grid consists of 56,000 initial models, including 14 WD accretor masses, 43 donor-star masses (0.1–4.7 M {sub ⊙}), and 100 orbital periods. We explore evolution tracks in the orbital period and donor-mass ( P {sub orb}– M {sub don}) plane in terms of evolution dwell times, masses of the WD accretor, accretion rate, and chemical composition of the center and surface of the donor star. We report on the differences among the standard CV tracks, those with giant donor stars, and ultrashort period systems. We show where in parameter space one can expect to find SXSs, present a diagnostic to distinguish among different evolutionary paths to forming AM CVn binaries, quantify how the minimum orbital period in CVs depends on the chemical composition of the donor star, and update the P {sub orb}( M {sub wd}) relation for binaries containing WDs whose progenitors lost their envelopes via stable Roche-lobe overflow. Finally, we indicate where in the P {sub orb}– M {sub don} the accretion disks will tend to be stable against the thermal-viscous instability, and where gravitational radiation signatures may be found with LISA.

Probing M Dwarf Model-Data Discrepancies via Precise, Empirical Characterization of a Long-Period F+M Binary

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Daniel; Gaudi, Scott; Beatty, Thomas; Siverd, Robert

2018-05-01

Double-lined eclipsing binaries (EBs) have been the gold standard for direct, precise (less than a few percent), and accurate measurements of stellar masses and radii. However, with the availability of Gaia parallaxes and nearly complete spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of millions of stars, it will soon be possible to make such measurements for the much larger number of single-lined EBs such as high mass-ratio systems and transiting planets, both of which are routinely found by transit surveys. Combining high-precision eclipse photometry and radial velocity (RV) observations of the primary star enables measurements of the primary star's density, the ratio of stellar radii, and a combination of the stars' masses. Broad-band photometry from the ultraviolet to the infrared plus a Gaia parallax and an effective temperature of the primary from either the SED or high-resolution spectra, allow one to measure the radius (and mass via the density) of the primary. The radius and mass of the secondary can then be determined in the usual way with the radius ratio and RVs, and the companion's effective temperature can be determined from a secondary eclipse measurement and the primary star's effective temperature. For single-lined EBs, the precision of ingress/egress duration measurements dominates the error budget of the masses and companion radius. We propose to observe one primary and secondary eclipse of the F+M binary TYC 4223-1012-1, an M dwarf on a 16.5-day orbit around an F dwarf. Ground-based data poorly constrain TYC 4223-1012-1's masses due to the near-impossibility of observing the full 10-hr eclipse from the ground. By combining extant RV and SED data with the Spitzer data, we expect to measure the mass, radius, and effective temperature of the M dwarf to a few percent. This is comparable to the precision of the best-characterized literature M dwarfs, but at an orbital period far beyond the majority of such systems, where tidal effects should be negligible.

Binary Star Orbits. V. The Nearby White Dwarf/Red Dwarf Pair 40 Eri BC

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, Brian D.; Hartkopf, William I.; Miles, Korie N.

2017-11-01

A new relative orbit solution with new dynamical masses is determined for the nearby white dwarf-red dwarf pair 40 Eri BC. The period is 230.09 ± 0.68 years. It is predicted to close slowly over the next half-century, getting as close as 1.″32 in early 2066. We determine masses of 0.575 ± 0.018 {{ M }}⊙ for the white dwarf and 0.2041 ± 0.0064 {{ M }}⊙ for the red dwarf companion. The inconsistency of the masses determined by gravitational redshift and dynamical techniques, due to a premature orbit calculation, no longer exists.

THE MASS DISTRIBUTION OF COMPANIONS TO LOW-MASS WHITE DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrews, Jeff J.; Price-Whelan, Adrian M.; Agüeros, Marcel A.

2014-01-01

Measuring the masses of companions to single-line spectroscopic binary stars is (in general) not possible because of the unknown orbital plane inclination. Even when the mass of the visible star can be measured, only a lower limit can be placed on the mass of the unseen companion. However, since these inclination angles should be isotropically distributed, for a large enough, unbiased sample, the companion mass distribution can be deconvolved from the distribution of observables. In this work, we construct a hierarchical probabilistic model to infer properties of unseen companion stars given observations of the orbital period and projected radial velocity of the primary star. We apply this model to three mock samples of low-mass white dwarfs (LMWDs; M ≲ 0.45 M ☉ ) and a sample of post-common-envelope binaries. We use a mixture of two Gaussians to model the WD and neutron star (NS) companion mass distributions. Our model successfully recovers the initial parameters of these test data sets. We then apply our model to 55 WDs in the extremely low-mass (ELM) WD Survey. Our maximum a posteriori model for the WD companion population has a mean mass μ WD = 0.74 M ☉ , with a standard deviation σ WD = 0.24 M ☉ . Our model constrains the NS companion fraction f NS to be <16% at 68% confidence. We make samples from the posterior distribution publicly available so that future observational efforts may compute the NS probability for newly discovered LMWDs

THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD. XXVIII. THE MULTIPLICITY FRACTION OF NEARBY STARS FROM 5 TO 70 AU AND THE BROWN DWARF DESERT AROUND M DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dieterich, Sergio B.; Henry, Todd J.; Golimowski, David A.; Krist, John E.; Tanner, Angelle M.

2012-01-01

We report on our analysis of Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS snapshot high-resolution images of 255 stars in 201 systems within ∼10 pc of the Sun. Photometry was obtained through filters F110W, F180M, F207M, and F222M using NICMOS Camera 2. These filters were selected to permit clear identification of cool brown dwarfs through methane contrast imaging. With a plate scale of 76 mas pixel –1 , NICMOS can easily resolve binaries with subarcsecond separations in the 19.''5×19.''5 field of view. We previously reported five companions to nearby M and L dwarfs from this search. No new companions were discovered during the second phase of data analysis presented here, confirming that stellar/substellar binaries are rare. We establish magnitude and separation limits for which companions can be ruled out for each star in the sample, and then perform a comprehensive sensitivity and completeness analysis for the subsample of 138 M dwarfs in 126 systems. We calculate a multiplicity fraction of 0.0 +3.5 –0.0 % for L companions to M dwarfs in the separation range of 5-70 AU, and 2.3 +5.0 –0.7 % for L and T companions to M dwarfs in the separation range of 10-70 AU. We also discuss trends in the color-magnitude diagrams using various color combinations and present astrometry for 19 multiple systems in our sample. Considering these results and results from several other studies, we argue that the so-called brown dwarf desert extends to binary systems with low-mass primaries and is largely independent of primary mass, mass ratio, and separations. While focusing on companion properties, we discuss how the qualitative agreement between observed companion mass functions and initial mass functions suggests that the paucity of brown dwarfs in either population may be due to a common cause and not due to binary formation mechanisms.

THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD. XXVIII. THE MULTIPLICITY FRACTION OF NEARBY STARS FROM 5 TO 70 AU AND THE BROWN DWARF DESERT AROUND M DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dieterich, Sergio B.; Henry, Todd J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302-4106 (United States); Golimowski, David A. [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Krist, John E. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Tanner, Angelle M., E-mail: dieterich@chara.gsu.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762 (United States)

2012-08-15

We report on our analysis of Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS snapshot high-resolution images of 255 stars in 201 systems within {approx}10 pc of the Sun. Photometry was obtained through filters F110W, F180M, F207M, and F222M using NICMOS Camera 2. These filters were selected to permit clear identification of cool brown dwarfs through methane contrast imaging. With a plate scale of 76 mas pixel{sup -1}, NICMOS can easily resolve binaries with subarcsecond separations in the 19.''5 Multiplication-Sign 19.''5 field of view. We previously reported five companions to nearby M and L dwarfs from this search. No new companions were discovered during the second phase of data analysis presented here, confirming that stellar/substellar binaries are rare. We establish magnitude and separation limits for which companions can be ruled out for each star in the sample, and then perform a comprehensive sensitivity and completeness analysis for the subsample of 138 M dwarfs in 126 systems. We calculate a multiplicity fraction of 0.0{sup +3.5}{sub -0.0}% for L companions to M dwarfs in the separation range of 5-70 AU, and 2.3{sup +5.0}{sub -0.7}% for L and T companions to M dwarfs in the separation range of 10-70 AU. We also discuss trends in the color-magnitude diagrams using various color combinations and present astrometry for 19 multiple systems in our sample. Considering these results and results from several other studies, we argue that the so-called brown dwarf desert extends to binary systems with low-mass primaries and is largely independent of primary mass, mass ratio, and separations. While focusing on companion properties, we discuss how the qualitative agreement between observed companion mass functions and initial mass functions suggests that the paucity of brown dwarfs in either population may be due to a common cause and not due to binary formation mechanisms.

Head-on collisions of binary white dwarf-neutron stars: Simulations in full general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paschalidis, Vasileios; Etienne, Zachariah; Liu, Yuk Tung; Shapiro, Stuart L.

2011-01-01

We simulate head-on collisions from rest at large separation of binary white dwarf-neutron stars (WDNSs) in full general relativity. Our study serves as a prelude to our analysis of the circular binary WDNS problem. We focus on compact binaries whose total mass exceeds the maximum mass that a cold-degenerate star can support, and our goal is to determine the fate of such systems. A fully general relativistic hydrodynamic computation of a realistic WDNS head-on collision is prohibitive due to the large range of dynamical time scales and length scales involved. For this reason, we construct an equation of state (EOS) which captures the main physical features of neutron stars (NSs) while, at the same time, scales down the size of white dwarfs (WDs). We call these scaled-down WD models 'pseudo-WDs (pWDs)'. Using pWDs, we can study these systems via a sequence of simulations where the size of the pWD gradually increases toward the realistic case. We perform two sets of simulations; One set studies the effects of the NS mass on the final outcome, when the pWD is kept fixed. The other set studies the effect of the pWD compaction on the final outcome, when the pWD mass and the NS are kept fixed. All simulations show that after the collision, 14%-18% of the initial total rest mass escapes to infinity. All remnant masses still exceed the maximum rest mass that our cold EOS can support (1.92M · ), but no case leads to prompt collapse to a black hole. This outcome arises because the final configurations are hot. All cases settle into spherical, quasiequilibrium configurations consisting of a cold NS core surrounded by a hot mantle, resembling Thorne-Zytkow objects. Extrapolating our results to realistic WD compactions, we predict that the likely outcome of a head-on collision of a realistic, massive WDNS system will be the formation of a quasiequilibrium Thorne-Zytkow-like object.

MONTE CARLO POPULATION SYNTHESIS OF POST-COMMON-ENVELOPE WHITE DWARF BINARIES AND TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA RATE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ablimit, Iminhaji [Key Laboratory for Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Maeda, Keiichi [Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Li, Xiang-Dong [Department of Astronomy, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046 (China)

2016-07-20

Binary population synthesis (BPS) studies provide a comprehensive way to understand the evolution of binaries and their end products. Close white dwarf (WD) binaries have crucial characteristics for examining the influence of unresolved physical parameters on binary evolution. In this paper, we perform Monte Carlo BPS simulations, investigating the population of WD/main-sequence (WD/MS) binaries and double WD binaries using a publicly available binary star evolution code under 37 different assumptions for key physical processes and binary initial conditions. We considered different combinations of the binding energy parameter ( λ {sub g}: considering gravitational energy only; λ {sub b}: considering both gravitational energy and internal energy; and λ {sub e}: considering gravitational energy, internal energy, and entropy of the envelope, with values derived from the MESA code), CE efficiency, critical mass ratio, initial primary mass function, and metallicity. We find that a larger number of post-CE WD/MS binaries in tight orbits are formed when the binding energy parameters are set by λ {sub e} than in those cases where other prescriptions are adopted. We also determine the effects of the other input parameters on the orbital periods and mass distributions of post-CE WD/MS binaries. As they contain at least one CO WD, double WD systems that evolved from WD/MS binaries may explode as type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) via merging. In this work, we also investigate the frequency of two WD mergers and compare it to the SNe Ia rate. The calculated Galactic SNe Ia rate with λ = λ {sub e} is comparable to the observed SNe Ia rate, ∼8.2 × 10{sup 5} yr{sup 1} – ∼4 × 10{sup 3} yr{sup 1} depending on the other BPS parameters, if a DD system does not require a mass ratio higher than ∼0.8 to become an SNe Ia. On the other hand, a violent merger scenario, which requires the combined mass of two CO WDs ≥ 1.6 M {sub ⊙} and a mass ratio >0.8, results in a much lower

A STRANGE STAR SCENARIO FOR THE FORMATION OF ECCENTRIC MILLISECOND PULSAR/HELIUM WHITE DWARF BINARIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Long; Li, Xiang-Dong [Department of Astronomy, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046 (China); Dey, Jishnu; Dey, Mira, E-mail: lixd@nju.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Presidency University, 86/1, College Street, Kolkata 700 073 (India)

2015-07-01

According to the recycling scenario, millisecond pulsars (MSPs) have evolved from low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). Their orbits are expected to be circular due to tidal interactions during binary evolution, as observed in most binary MSPs. There are some peculiar systems that do not fit this picture. Three recent examples are the PSRs J2234+06, J1946+3417, and J1950+2414, all of which are MSPs in eccentric orbits but with mass functions compatible with expected He white dwarf (WD) companions. It has been suggested these MSPs may have formed from delayed accretion-induced collapse of massive WDs, or the eccentricity may be induced by dynamical interaction between the binary and a circumbinary disk. Assuming that the core density of accreting neutron stars (NSs) in LMXBs may reach the density of quark deconfinement, which can lead to phase transition from NSs to strange quark stars, we show that the resultant MSPs are likely to have an eccentric orbit, due to the sudden loss of the gravitational mass of the NS during the transition. The eccentricities can be reproduced with a reasonable estimate of the mass loss. This scenario might also account for the formation of the youngest known X-ray binary Cir X–1, which also possesses a low-field compact star in an eccentric orbit.

White dwarf models of supernovae and cataclysmic variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomoto, K.; Hashimoto, M.

1986-01-01

If the accreting white dwarf increases its mass to the Chandrasekhar mass, it will either explode as a Type I supernova or collapse to form a neutron star. In fact, there is a good agreement between the exploding white dwarf model for Type I supernovae and observations. We describe various types of evolution of accreting white dwarfs as a function of binary parameters (i.e,. composition, mass, and age of the white dwarf, its companion star, and mass accretion rate), and discuss the conditions for the precursors of exploding or collapsing white dwarfs, and their relevance to cataclysmic variables. Particular attention is given to helium star cataclysmics which might be the precursors of some Type I supernovae or ultrashort period x-ray binaries. Finally we present new evolutionary calculations using the updated nuclear reaction rates for the formation of O+Ne+Mg white dwarfs, and discuss the composition structure and their relevance to the model for neon novae. 61 refs., 14 figs

Conditions for accretion-induced collapse of white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomoto, Kenichi; Kondo, Yoji

1991-01-01

Recent discovery of an unexpectedly large number of low-mass binary pulsars (LMBPs) in globular clusters has instigated active discussions on the evolutionary origin of binary pulsars. Prompted by the possibility that at least some of LMBPs originate from accretion-induced collapse (AIC) of white dwarfs, a reexamination is conducted as to whether or not AIC occurs for the new models of O + Ne + Mg white dwarfs and solid C + O white dwarfs that can ignite explosive nuclear burning at significantly lower central densities than in the previous models. Even with low critical densities, AIC is still much more likely than explosion for both types of white dwarfs. Possible regions for AIC are presented in a diagram of mass accretion rate vs initial mass of the white dwarfs. 42 refs

2MASS J13243553+6358281 Is an Early T-type Planetary-mass Object in the AB Doradus Moving Group

Science.gov (United States)

Gagné, Jonathan; Allers, Katelyn N.; Theissen, Christopher A.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella; Artigau, Étienne

2018-02-01

We present new radial velocity and trigonometric distance measurements indicating that the unusually red and photometrically variable T2 dwarf 2MASS J13243553+6358281 is a member of the young (∼150 Myr) AB Doradus moving group (ABDMG) based on its space velocity. We estimate its model-dependent mass in the range 11–12 M Jup at the age of the ABDMG, and its trigonometric distance of 12.7 ± 1.5 pc makes it one of the nearest known isolated planetary-mass objects. The unusually red continuum of 2MASS J13243553+6358281 in the near-infrared was previously suspected to be caused by an unresolved L + T brown dwarf binary, although it was never observed with high spatial resolution imaging. This new evidence of youth suggests that a low surface gravity may be sufficient to explain this peculiar feature. Using the new parallax we find that its absolute J-band magnitude is ∼0.4 mag fainter than equivalent-type field brown dwarfs, suggesting that the binary hypothesis is unlikely. The fundamental properties of 2MASS J13243553+6358281 follow the spectral type sequence of other known high-likelihood members of the ABDMG. The effective temperature of 2MASS J13243553+6358281 provides the first precise constraint on the L/T transition at a known young age and indicates that it happens at a temperature of ∼1150 K at ∼150 Myr, compared to ∼1250 K for field brown dwarfs.

Detection of a white dwarf companion to the Hyades stars HD 27483

Science.gov (United States)

Boehm-Vitense, Erika

1993-01-01

We observed with IUE a white dwarf (WD) companion to the Hyades F6 V binary stars HD 27483. This system is known to be a close binary of two nearly equal stars with an orbital period of 3.05 days. Our IUE observations revealed the presence of a third star, a white dwarf with an effective temperature of 23,000 +/- 1000 K and a mass of approximately 0.6 solar mass. Its presence in the Hyades cluster with a known age permits me to derive the mass of its progenitor, which must have been about 2.3 solar masses. The presence of the white dwarf in a binary system opens the possibility that some of the envelope material, which was expelled by the WD progenitor, may have been collected by the F6 stars. We may thus be able to study abundance anomalies of the WD progenitor with known mass on the surface of the F6 companions.

THE MASS DISTRIBUTION OF COMPANIONS TO LOW-MASS WHITE DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrews, Jeff J.; Price-Whelan, Adrian M.; Agüeros, Marcel A. [Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, 550 W 120th Street, New York, NY 10027 (United States)

2014-12-20

Measuring the masses of companions to single-line spectroscopic binary stars is (in general) not possible because of the unknown orbital plane inclination. Even when the mass of the visible star can be measured, only a lower limit can be placed on the mass of the unseen companion. However, since these inclination angles should be isotropically distributed, for a large enough, unbiased sample, the companion mass distribution can be deconvolved from the distribution of observables. In this work, we construct a hierarchical probabilistic model to infer properties of unseen companion stars given observations of the orbital period and projected radial velocity of the primary star. We apply this model to three mock samples of low-mass white dwarfs (LMWDs; M ≲ 0.45 M {sub ☉}) and a sample of post-common-envelope binaries. We use a mixture of two Gaussians to model the WD and neutron star (NS) companion mass distributions. Our model successfully recovers the initial parameters of these test data sets. We then apply our model to 55 WDs in the extremely low-mass (ELM) WD Survey. Our maximum a posteriori model for the WD companion population has a mean mass μ{sub WD} = 0.74 M {sub ☉}, with a standard deviation σ{sub WD} = 0.24 M {sub ☉}. Our model constrains the NS companion fraction f {sub NS} to be <16% at 68% confidence. We make samples from the posterior distribution publicly available so that future observational efforts may compute the NS probability for newly discovered LMWDs.

DETECTION OF WHITE DWARF COMPANIONS TO BLUE STRAGGLERS IN THE OPEN CLUSTER NGC 188: DIRECT EVIDENCE FOR RECENT MASS TRANSFER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gosnell, Natalie M.; Mathieu, Robert D. [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 475 N. Charter St., Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Geller, Aaron M. [Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Sills, Alison [Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1 (Canada); Leigh, Nathan [Department of Physics, University of Alberta, CCIS 4-183, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1 (Canada); Knigge, Christian, E-mail: gosnell@astro.wisc.edu [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 IBJ (United Kingdom)

2014-03-01

Several possible formation pathways for blue straggler stars have been developed recently, but no one pathway has yet been observationally confirmed for a specific blue straggler. Here we report the first findings from a Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys/Solar Blind Channel far-UV photometric program to search for white dwarf companions to blue straggler stars. We find three hot and young white dwarf companions to blue straggler stars in the 7 Gyr open cluster NGC 188, indicating that mass transfer in these systems ended less than 300 Myr ago. These companions are direct and secure observational evidence that these blue straggler stars were formed through mass transfer in binary stars. Their existence in a well-studied cluster environment allows for observational constraints of both the current binary system and the progenitor binary system, mapping the entire mass transfer history.

2MASS J0516288+260738: Discovery of the first eclipsing late K + Brown dwarf binary system?

Science.gov (United States)

Schuh, S. L.; Handler, G.; Drechsel, H.; Hauschildt, P.; Dreizler, S.; Medupe, R.; Karl, C.; Napiwotzki, R.; Kim, S.-L.; Park, B.-G.; Wood, M. A.; Paparó, M.; Szeidl, B.; Virághalmy, G.; Zsuffa, D.; Hashimoto, O.; Kinugasa, K.; Taguchi, H.; Kambe, E.; Leibowitz, E.; Ibbetson, P.; Lipkin, Y.; Nagel, T.; Göhler, E.; Pretorius, M. L.

2003-11-01

We report the discovery of a new eclipsing system less than one arcminute south of the pulsating DB white dwarf KUV 05134+2605. The object could be identified with the point source 2MASS J0516288+260738 published by the Two Micron All Sky Survey. We present and discuss the first light curves as well as some additional colour and spectral information. The eclipse period of the system is 1.29 d, and, assuming this to be identical to the orbital period, the best light curve solution yields a mass ratio of m2/m1=0.11, a radius ratio of r2/r1~ 1 and an inclination of 74o. The spectral anaylsis results in a Teff=4200 K for the primary. On this basis, we suggest that the new system probably consists of a late K + Brown dwarf (which would imply a system considerably younger than ~0.01 Gyr to have r2/r1~ 1), and outline possible future observations. This paper uses observations made at the Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory of Korea Astronomy Observatory, at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), at the 0.9 m telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory recommissioned by the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA), at Gunma Astronomical Observatory established by Gunma prefecture, Japan, at the Florence and George Wise Observatory, operated by the Tel-Aviv University, Israel and at Piszkésteto, the mountain station of Konkoly Observatory of the Hungarian Academy of Science, Hungary. This publication makes use of data products from the Two Micron All Sky Survey, a joint project of the University of Massachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center / California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. The Digitized Sky Survey was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute under US Government grant NAG W-2166. The images of these surveys are based on photographic data obtained using the Oschin Schmidt Telescope on Palomar Mountain and the UK

THE DYNAMICAL EVOLUTION OF LOW-MASS HYDROGEN-BURNING STARS, BROWN DWARFS, AND PLANETARY-MASS OBJECTS FORMED THROUGH DISK FRAGMENTATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yun; Kouwenhoven, M. B. N. [Department of Astronomy, School of Physics, Peking University, Yiheyuan Lu 5, Haidian Qu, Beijing 100871 (China); Stamatellos, D. [Jeremiah Horrocks Institute for Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE (United Kingdom); Goodwin, S. P., E-mail: yunli@pku.edu.cn [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH (United Kingdom)

2015-06-01

Theory and simulations suggest that it is possible to form low-mass hydrogen-burning stars, brown dwarfs (BDs), and planetary-mass objects (PMOs) via disk fragmentation. As disk fragmentation results in the formation of several bodies at comparable distances to the host star, their orbits are generally unstable. Here, we study the dynamical evolution of these objects. We set up the initial conditions based on the outcomes of the smoothed-particle hydrodynamics simulations of Stamatellos and Whitworth, and for comparison we also study the evolution of systems resulting from lower-mass fragmenting disks. We refer to these two sets of simulations as set 1 and set 2, respectively. At 10 Myr, approximately half of the host stars have one companion left, and approximately 22% (set 1) to 9.8% (set 2) of the host stars are single. Systems with multiple secondaries in relatively stable configurations are common (about 30% and 44%, respectively). The majority of the companions are ejected within 1 Myr with velocities mostly below 5 km s{sup −1}, with some runaway escapers with velocities over 30 km s{sup −1}. Roughly 6% (set 1) and 2% (set 2) of the companions pair up into very low-mass binary systems, resulting in respective binary fractions of 3.2% and 1.2%. The majority of these pairs escape as very low-mass binaries, while others remain bound to the host star in hierarchical configurations (often with retrograde inner orbits). Physical collisions with the host star (0.43 and 0.18 events per host star for set 1 and set 2, respectively) and between companions (0.08 and 0.04 events per host star for set 1 and set 2, respectively) are relatively common and their frequency increases with increasing disk mass. Our study predicts observable properties of very low-mass binaries, low-mass hierarchical systems, the BD desert, and free-floating BDs and PMOs in and near young stellar groupings, which can be used to distinguish between different formation scenarios of very low-mass

Supercritical accretion in the evolution of neutron star binaries and its implications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Chang-Hwan, E-mail: clee@pusan.ac.kr; Cho, Hee-Suk

2014-08-15

Recently ∼2M{sub ⊙} neutron stars PSR J1614-2230 and PSR J0348+0432 have been observed in neutron star-white dwarf binaries. These observations ruled out many neutron star equations of states with which the maximum neutron star mass becomes less than 2M{sub ⊙}. On the other hand, all well-measured neutron star masses in double neutron star binaries are still less than 1.5M{sub ⊙}. In this article we suggest that 2M{sub ⊙} neutron stars in neutron star-white dwarf binaries are the result of the supercritical accretion onto the first-born neutron star during the evolution of the binary progenitors.

A PRECISE MASS MEASUREMENT OF THE INTERMEDIATE-MASS BINARY PULSAR PSR J1802 - 2124

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferdman, R. D.; Cognard, I.; Desvignes, G.; Theureau, G.; Stairs, I. H.; Kramer, M.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Lorimer, D. R.; Nice, D. J.; Manchester, R. N.; Hobbs, G.; Lyne, A. G.; Faulkner, A.; Camilo, F.; Possenti, A.; Demorest, P. B.; Backer, D. C.

2010-01-01

PSR J1802 - 2124 is a 12.6 ms pulsar in a 16.8 hr binary orbit with a relatively massive white dwarf (WD) companion. These properties make it a member of the intermediate-mass class of binary pulsar (IMBP) systems. We have been timing this pulsar since its discovery in 2002. Concentrated observations at the Green Bank Telescope, augmented with data from the Parkes and Nancay observatories, have allowed us to determine the general relativistic Shapiro delay. This has yielded pulsar and WD mass measurements of 1.24 ± 0.11 M sun and 0.78 ± 0.04 M sun (68% confidence), respectively. The low mass of the pulsar, the high mass of the WD companion, the short orbital period, and the pulsar spin period may be explained by the system having gone through a common-envelope phase in its evolution. We argue that selection effects may contribute to the relatively small number of known IMBPs.

Infrared photometry of the dwarf nova V2051 Ophiuchi - I. The mass-donor star and the distance

Science.gov (United States)

Wojcikiewicz, Eduardo; Baptista, Raymundo; Ribeiro, Tiago

2018-04-01

We report the analysis of time series of infrared JHKs photometry of the dwarf nova V2051 Oph in quiescence. We modelled the ellipsoidal variations caused by the distorted mass-donor star to infer its JHKs fluxes. From its infrared colours, we estimate a spectral type of M(8.0 ± 1.5) and an equivalent blackbody temperature of TBB = (2700 ± 270) K. We used the Barnes & Evans relation to infer a photometric parallax distance of dBE = (102 ± 16) pc to the binary. At this short distance, the corresponding accretion disc temperatures in outburst are too low to be explained by the disc-instability model for dwarf nova outbursts, underscoring a previous suggestion that the outbursts of this binary are powered by mass-transfer bursts.

MARVELS Radial Velocity Solutions to Seven Kepler Eclipsing Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Heslar, Michael Francis; Thomas, Neil B.; Ge, Jian; Ma, Bo; Herczeg, Alec; Reyes, Alan; SDSS-III MARVELS Team

2016-01-01

Eclipsing binaries serve momentous purposes to improve the basis of understanding aspects of stellar astrophysics, such as the accurate calculation of the physical parameters of stars and the enigmatic mass-radius relationship of M and K dwarfs. We report the investigation results of 7 eclipsing binary candidates, initially identified by the Kepler mission, overlapped with the radial velocity observations from the SDSS-III Multi-Object APO Radial-Velocity Exoplanet Large-Area Survey (MARVELS). The RV extractions and spectroscopic solutions of these eclipsing binaries were generated by the University of Florida's 1D data pipeline with a median RV precision of ~60-100 m/s, which was utilized for the DR12 data release. We performed the cross-reference fitting of the MARVELS RV data and the Kepler photometric fluxes obtained from the Kepler Eclipsing Binary Catalog (V2) and modelled the 7 eclipsing binaries in the BinaryMaker3 and PHOEBE programs. This analysis accurately determined the absolute physical and orbital parameters of each binary. Most of the companion stars were determined to have masses of K and M dwarf stars (0.3-0.8 M⊙), and allowed for an investigation into the mass-radius relationship of M and K dwarfs. Among the cases are KIC 9163796, a 122.2 day period "heartbeat star", a recently-discovered class of eccentric binaries known for tidal distortions and pulsations, with a high eccentricity (e~0.75) and KIC 11244501, a 0.29 day period, contact binary with a double-lined spectrum and mass ratio (q~0.45). We also report on the possible reclassification of 2 Kepler eclipsing binary candidates as background eclipsing binaries based on the analysis of the flux measurements, flux ratios of the spectroscopic and photometric solutions, the differences in the FOVs, the image processing of Kepler, and RV and spectral analysis of MARVELS.

The mass dependence of dwarf satellite galaxy quenching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slater, Colin T.; Bell, Eric F.

2014-01-01

We combine observations of the Local Group with data from the NASA-Sloan Atlas to show the variation in the quenched fraction of satellite galaxies from low-mass dwarf spheroidals and dwarf irregulars to more massive dwarfs similar to the Magellanic Clouds. While almost all of the low-mass (M * ≲ 10 7 M ☉ ) dwarfs are quenched, at higher masses the quenched fraction decreases to approximately 40%-50%. This change in the quenched fraction is large and suggests a sudden change in the effectiveness of quenching that correlates with satellite mass. We combine this observation with models of satellite infall and ram pressure stripping to show that the low-mass satellites must quench within 1-2 Gyr of pericenter passage to maintain a high quenched fraction, but that many more massive dwarfs must continue to form stars today even though they likely fell into their host >5 Gyr ago. We also characterize how the susceptibility of dwarfs to ram pressure must vary as a function of mass if it is to account for the change in quenched fractions. Though neither model predicts the quenching effectiveness a priori, this modeling illustrates the physical requirements that the observed quenched fractions place on possible quenching mechanisms.

Comments on the evolution and origin of cataclysmic binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whyte, C.A.; Eggleton, P.P.

1980-01-01

Aspects of the observational data on cataclysmic binaries are discussed and possible correlations between type of behaviour and binary period are noted. A gap between 2 and 3 hr in binary periods is judged to be real. A simple numerical procedure for evolving Roche-lobe-filling stars is described, and applied to white dwarf-red dwarf binaries for various mass loss and angular momentum loss mechanisms, and initial conditions. The results, in which the short-time-scale behaviour of the systems is ignored, are classified into four modes of evolution: normal, nuclear evolution dominated, angular momentum loss dominated and hydrodynamical. The clustering below 2 hr is interpreted in terms of evolution following the hydrodynamical mode, and it is suggested that both stars in such systems are of low mass. This may be the commonest type of cataclysmic binary. A possible explanation for the apparent clustering of classical novae to periods of 3 to 5 hr is given, and evolutionary schemes for cataclysmic binaries outlined. It is suggested that the short-period systems (approximately < 2 hr) arise mainly from late case B mass transfer in the original binary and the longer period systems mainly from case C. (author)

UBVRc Ic ANALYSIS OF THE RECENTLY DISCOVERED TOTALLY ECLIPSING EXTREME MASS RATIO BINARY V1853 ORIONIS, AND A STATISTICAL LOOK AT 25 OTHER EXTREME MASS RATIO SOLAR-TYPE CONTACT BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samec, R. G.; Labadorf, C. M.; Hawkins, N. C.; Faulkner, D. R.; Van Hamme, W.

2011-01-01

We present precision CCD light curves, a period study, photometrically derived standard magnitudes, and a five-color simultaneous Wilson code solution of the totally eclipsing, yet shallow amplitude (A v ∼ 0.4 mag) eclipsing, binary V1853 Orionis. It is determined to be an extreme mass ratio, q = 0.20, W-type W UMa overcontact binary. From our standard star observations, we find that the variable is a late-type F spectral-type dwarf, with a secondary component of about 0.24 solar masses (stellar type M5V). Its long eclipse duration (41 minutes) as compared to its period, 0.383 days, attests to the small relative size of the secondary. Furthermore, it has reached a Roche lobe fill-out of ∼50% of its outer critical lobe as it approaches its final stages of binary star evolution, that of a fast spinning single star. Finally, a summary of about 25 extreme mass ratio solar-type binaries is given.

Mass-accreting white dwarfs and type Ia supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bo

2018-05-01

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play a prominent role in understanding the evolution of the Universe. They are thought to be thermonuclear explosions of mass-accreting carbon-oxygen white dwarfs (CO WDs) in binaries, although the mass donors of the accreting WDs are still not well determined. In this article, I review recent studies on mass-accreting WDs, including H- and He-accreting WDs. I also review currently most studied progenitor models of SNe Ia, i.e., the single-degenerate model (including the WD+MS channel, the WD+RG channel and the WD+He star channel), the double-degenerate model (including the violent merger scenario) and the sub-Chandrasekhar mass model. Recent progress on these progenitor models is discussed, including the initial parameter space for producing SNe Ia, the binary evolutionary paths to SNe Ia, the progenitor candidates for SNe Ia, the possible surviving companion stars of SNe Ia, some observational constraints, etc. Some other potential progenitor models of SNe Ia are also summarized, including the hybrid CONe WD model, the core-degenerate model, the double WD collision model, the spin-up/spin-down model and the model of WDs near black holes. To date, it seems that two or more progenitor models are needed to explain the observed diversity among SNe Ia.

Outcome of mass transfer in a carbon-oxygen white dwarf binary system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khokhlov, A.M.

1985-01-01

The hydrostatic evolution of a carbon-oxygen white dwarf (COWD) experiencing accretion of matter from its companion, a second COWD, is calculated for accretion rates ranging from 10 to the -8th to 10 to the -5th solar masses per year. It is shown that, for accretion rates less than (3.3 + or - 1.5) x 10 to the -6th M/yr, the accretion of a C+O mixture by a COWD will ultimately lead to ignition of carbon at the center of the star, producing a thermonuclear explosion. For accretion rates greater than that value, the C-12 can be ignited near the white dwarf surface, followed by propagation of the thermonuclear burning front toward the center. It is concluded that a COWD accreting a C+O mixture is a highly plausible candidate for a type I presupernova. 18 references

Evolution models of helium white dwarf--main-sequence star merger remnants: the mass distribution of single low-mass white dwarfs

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Xianfei; Hall, Philip D.; Jeffery, C. Simon; Bi, Shaolan

2017-01-01

It is not known how single white dwarfs with masses less than 0.5Msolar -- low-mass white dwarfs -- are formed. One way in which such a white dwarf might be formed is after the merger of a helium-core white dwarf with a main-sequence star that produces a red giant branch star and fails to ignite helium. We use a stellar-evolution code to compute models of the remnants of these mergers and find a relation between the pre-merger masses and the final white dwarf mass. Combining our results with ...

New Light on Dark Stars Red Dwarfs, Low-Mass Stars, Brown Dwarfs

CERN Document Server

Reid, I. Neill

2005-01-01

There has been very considerable progress in research into low-mass stars, brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets during the past few years, particularly since the fist edtion of this book was published in 2000. In this new edtion the authors present a comprehensive review of both the astrophysical nature of individual red dwarf and brown dwarf stars and their collective statistical properties as an important Galactic stellar population. Chapters dealing with the observational properies of low-mass dwarfs, the stellar mass function and extrasolar planets have been completely revised. Other chapters have been significantly revised and updated as appropriate, including important new material on observational techniques, stellar acivity, the Galactic halo and field star surveys. The authors detail the many discoveries of new brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets made since publication of the first edition of the book and provide a state-of-the-art review of our current knowledge of very low-mass stars, brown dwarfs a...

MEASURING TINY MASS ACCRETION RATES ONTO YOUNG BROWN DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herczeg, Gregory J.; Cruz, Kelle L.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.

2009-01-01

We present low-resolution Keck I/LRIS spectra spanning from 3200 to 9000 A of nine young brown dwarfs and three low-mass stars in the TW Hya Association and in Upper Sco. The optical spectral types of the brown dwarfs range from M5.5 to M8.75, though two have near-IR spectral types of early L dwarfs. We report new accretion rates derived from excess Balmer continuum emission for the low-mass stars TW Hya and Hen 3-600A and the brown dwarfs 2MASS J12073347-3932540, UScoCTIO 128, SSSPM J1102-3431, USco J160606.29-233513.3, DENIS-P J160603.9-205644, and Oph J162225-240515B, and upper limits on accretion for the low-mass star Hen 3-600B and the brown dwarfs UScoCTIO 112, Oph J162225-240515A, and USco J160723.82-221102.0. For the six brown dwarfs in our sample that are faintest at short wavelengths, the accretion luminosity or upper limit is measurable only when the image is binned over large wavelength intervals. This method extends our sensitivity to accretion rate down to ∼10 -13 M sun yr -1 for brown dwarfs. Since the ability to measure an accretion rate from excess Balmer continuum emission depends on the contrast between excess continuum emission and the underlying photosphere, for objects with earlier spectral types the upper limit on accretion rate is much higher. Absolute uncertainties in our accretion rate measurements of ∼3-5 include uncertainty in accretion models, brown dwarf masses, and distance. The accretion rate of 2 x 10 -12 M sun yr -1 onto 2MASS J12073347-3932540 is within 15% of two previous measurements, despite large changes in the Hα flux.

Compact stars and the evolution of binary systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Heuvel, E.P.J.

2011-01-01

The Chandrasekhar limit is of key importance for the evolution of white dwarfs in binary systems and for the formation of neutron stars and black holes in binaries. Mass transfer can drive a white dwarf in a binary over the Chandrasekhar limit, which may lead to a Type Ia supernova (in case of a CO

The radii and masses of dwarf Cepheids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernley, J.A.; Jameson, R.F.; Sherrington, M.R.; Skillen, I.

1987-01-01

The authors present VJK photometry for the dwarf Cepheids CY Aqr, YZ Boo and VZ Cnc, and a radial velocity curve for CY Aqr. Using these data, plus radial velocity curves taken from the literature, Wesselink-type radii, and hence absolute magnitudes and masses, are derived for the three stars. Using these results, plus previously published work, a mean 'pulsation' mass for dwarf Cepheids of 1.2 +-0.3M solar mass is determined. If dwarf Cepheids are early post-main-sequence stars this is less than their 'evolutionary' mass by the ratio Msub(puls)/Msub(evol)approx.0.75. Previously published data on period changes show an order of magnitude larger than predicted by early post-main-sequence evolutionary tracks. The possibility that these stars are at a more advanced evolutionary state is briefly discussed. The properties of fundamental and possible/probable overtone pulsators are compared. Finally attention is drawn to the small cycle-to-cycle variations in dwarf Cepheid light curves noted by many observers and the possible link between these variations and delta Scuti behaviour. (author)

Pulsating low-mass white dwarfs in the frame of new evolutionary sequences. V. Asteroseismology of ELMV white dwarf stars

Science.gov (United States)

Calcaferro, Leila M.; Córsico, Alejandro H.; Althaus, Leandro G.

2017-11-01

Context. Many pulsating low-mass white dwarf stars have been detected in the past years in the field of our Galaxy. Some of them exhibit multiperiodic brightness variation, therefore it is possible to probe their interiors through asteroseismology. Aims: We present a detailed asteroseismological study of all the known low-mass variable white dwarf stars based on a complete set of fully evolutionary models that are representative of low-mass He-core white dwarf stars. Methods: We employed adiabatic radial and nonradial pulsation periods for low-mass white dwarf models with stellar masses ranging from 0.1554 to 0.4352 M⊙ that were derived by simulating the nonconservative evolution of a binary system consisting of an initially 1 M⊙ zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) star and a 1.4 M⊙ neutron star companion. We estimated the mean period spacing for the stars under study (where this was possible), and then we constrained the stellar mass by comparing the observed period spacing with the average of the computed period spacings for our grid of models. We also employed the individual observed periods of every known pulsating low-mass white dwarf star to search for a representative seismological model. Results: We found that even though the stars under analysis exhibit few periods and the period fits show multiplicity of solutions, it is possible to find seismological models whose mass and effective temperature are in agreement with the values given by spectroscopy for most of the cases. Unfortunately, we were not able to constrain the stellar masses by employing the observed period spacing because, in general, only few periods are exhibited by these stars. In the two cases where we were able to extract the period spacing from the set of observed periods, this method led to stellar mass values that were substantially higher than expected for this type of stars. Conclusions: The results presented in this work show the need for further photometric searches, on the one hand

TIDAL NOVAE IN COMPACT BINARY WHITE DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuller, Jim; Lai Dong

2012-01-01

Compact binary white dwarfs (WDs) undergoing orbital decay due to gravitational radiation can experience significant tidal heating prior to merger. In these WDs, the dominant tidal effect involves the excitation of outgoing gravity waves in the inner stellar envelope and the dissipation of these waves in the outer envelope. As the binary orbit decays, the WDs are synchronized from outside in (with the envelope synchronized first, followed by the core). We examine the deposition of tidal heat in the envelope of a carbon-oxygen WD and study how such tidal heating affects the structure and evolution of the WD. We show that significant tidal heating can occur in the star's degenerate hydrogen layer. This layer heats up faster than it cools, triggering runaway nuclear fusion. Such 'tidal novae' may occur in all WD binaries containing a CO WD, at orbital periods between 5 minutes and 20 minutes, and precede the final merger by 10 5 -10 6 years.

Orbital circularisation of white dwarfs and the formation of gravitational radiation sources in star clusters containing an intermediate mass black hole

OpenAIRE

Ivanov, P. B.; Papaloizou, J. C. B.

2007-01-01

(abbreviated) We consider how tight binaries consisting of a super-massive black hole of mass $M=10^{3}-10^{4}M_{\\odot}$ and a white dwarf can be formed in a globular cluster. We point out that a major fraction of white dwarfs tidally captured by the black hole may be destroyed by tidal inflation during ongoing circularisation, and the formation of tight binaries is inhibited. However, some stars may survive being spun up to high rotation rates. Then the energy loss through gravitational wave...

CHARACTERIZING THE GALACTIC WHITE DWARF BINARY POPULATION WITH SPARSELY SAMPLED RADIAL VELOCITY DATA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maoz, Dan; Badenes, Carles; Bickerton, Steven J.

2012-01-01

We present a method to characterize statistically the parameters of a detached binary sample—binary fraction, separation distribution, and mass-ratio distribution—using noisy radial velocity data with as few as two, randomly spaced, epochs per object. To do this, we analyze the distribution of ΔRV max , the maximum radial velocity difference between any two epochs for the same object. At low values, the core of this distribution is dominated by measurement errors, but for large enough samples there is a high-velocity tail that can effectively constrain the parameters of the binary population. We discuss our approach for the case of a population of detached white dwarf (WD) binaries with separations that are decaying via gravitational wave emission. We derive analytic expressions for the present-day distribution of separations, integrated over the star formation history of the Galaxy, for parameterized initial WD separation distributions at the end of the common-envelope phase. We use Monte Carlo techniques to produce grids of simulated ΔRV max distributions with specific binary population parameters, and the same sampling cadences and radial velocity errors as the observations, and we compare them to the real ΔRV max distribution to constrain the properties of the binary population. We illustrate the sensitivity of the method to both the model and observational parameters. In the particular case of binary WDs, every model population predicts a merger rate per star which can easily be compared to specific Type Ia supernova rates. In a companion paper, we apply the method to a sample of ∼4000 WDs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The binary fractions and separation distribution parameters allowed by the data indicate a rate of WD-WD mergers per unit stellar mass in the Galactic disk, ∼1 × 10 –13 mergers yr –1 M –1 ☉ , remarkably similar to the rate per unit mass of Type Ia supernovae in Milky Way like galaxies.

FIRST DIRECT EVIDENCE THAT BARIUM DWARFS HAVE WHITE DWARF COMPANIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gray, R. O.; McGahee, C. E.; Griffin, R. E. M.; Corbally, C. J.

2011-01-01

Barium II (Ba) stars are chemically peculiar F-, G-, and K-type objects that show enhanced abundances of s-process elements. Since s-process nucleosynthesis is unlikely to take place in stars prior to the advanced asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stage, the prevailing hypothesis is that each present Ba star was contaminated by an AGB companion which is now a white dwarf (WD). Unless the initial mass ratio of such a binary was fairly close to unity, the receiving star is thus at least as likely to be a dwarf as a giant. So although most known Ba stars appear to be giants, the hypothesis requires that Ba dwarfs be comparably plentiful and moreover that they should all have WD companions. However, despite dedicated searches with the IUE satellite, no WD companions have been directly detected to date among the classical Ba dwarfs, even though some 90% of those stars are spectroscopic binaries, so the contamination hypothesis is therefore presently in some jeopardy. In this paper, we analyze recent deep, near-UV and far-UV Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) exposures of four of the brightest of the class (HD 2454, 15360, 26367, and 221531), together with archived GALEX data for two newly recognized Ba dwarfs: HD 34654 and HD 114520 (which also prove to be spectroscopic binaries). The GALEX observations of the Ba dwarfs as a group show a significant far-UV excess compared to a control sample of normal F-type dwarfs. We suggest that this ensemble far-UV excess constitutes the first direct evidence that Ba dwarfs have WD companions.

Further Evidence of a Brown Dwarf Orbiting the Post-Common Envelope Eclipsing Binary V470 Cam (HS 0705+6700

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Bogensberger David

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Several post-common envelope binaries have slightly increasing, decreasing or oscillating orbital periods. One of several possible explanations is light travel-time changes, caused by the binary centre-of-mass being perturbed by the gravitational pull of a third body. Further studies are necessary because it is not clear how a third body could have survived subdwarf progenitor mass-loss at the tip of the Red Giant Branch, or formed subsequently. Thirty-nine primary eclipse times for V470 Cam were secured with the Philip Wetton Telescope during the period 2016 November 25th to 2017 January 27th. Available eclipse timings suggest a brown dwarf tertiary having a mass of at least 0.0236(40 M⊙, an elliptical orbit with an eccentricity of 0.376(98 and an orbital period of 11.77(67 years about the binary centreof- mass. The mass and orbit suggest a hybrid formation, in which some ejected material from the subdwarf progenitor was accreted on to a precursor tertiary component, although additional observations would be needed to confirm this interpretation and investigate other possible origins for the binary orbital period change.

CFBDSIR J1458+1013B: A Very Cold (>T10) Brown Dwarf in a Binary System

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Michael C.; Delorme, Philippe; Dupuy, Trent J.; Bowler, Brendan P.; Albert, Loic; Artigau, Etienne; Reylé, Celine; Forveille, Thierry; Delfosse, Xavier

2011-10-01

We have identified CFBDSIR J1458+1013 as a 0farcs11 (2.6 AU) physical binary using Keck laser guide star adaptive optics imaging and have measured a distance of 23.1 ± 2.4 pc to the system based on near-IR parallax data from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The integrated-light near-IR spectrum indicates a spectral type of T9.5, and model atmospheres suggest a slightly higher temperature and surface gravity than the T10 dwarf UGPS J0722-05. Thus, CFBDSIR J1458+1013AB is the coolest brown dwarf binary found to date. Its secondary component has an absolute H-band magnitude that is 1.9 ± 0.3 mag fainter than UGPS J0722-05, giving an inferred spectral type of >T10. The secondary's bolometric luminosity of ~2 × 10-7 L sun makes it the least luminous known brown dwarf by a factor of 4-5. By comparing to evolutionary models and T9-T10 objects, we estimate a temperature of 370 ± 40 K and a mass of 6-15 M Jup for CFBDSIR J1458+1013B. At such extremes, atmospheric models predict the onset of novel photospheric processes, namely, the appearance of water clouds and the removal of strong alkali lines, but their impact on the emergent spectrum is highly uncertain. Our photometry shows that strong CH4 absorption persists in the H band, the J - K color is bluer than the latest known T dwarfs but not as blue as predicted by current models, and the J - H color delineates a possible inflection in the blueward trend for the latest T dwarfs. Given its low luminosity, atypical colors, and cold temperature, CFBDSIR J1458+1013B is a promising candidate for the hypothesized Y spectral class. However, regardless of its ultimate classification, CFBDSIR J1458+1013AB provides a new benchmark for measuring the properties of brown dwarfs and gas-giant planets, testing substellar models, and constraining the low-mass limit for star formation. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California

Models for the formation of binary and millisecond radio pulsars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

van den Heuvel, E.P.J.

1984-01-01

The peculiar combination of a relatively short pulse period and a relatively weak surface dipole magnetic field strength of binary radio pulsars finds a consistent explanation in terms of: (i) decay of the surface dipole component of neutron star magnetic fields on a timescale of (2-5).10 6 yrs, in combination with: (ii) spin up of the rotation of the neutron star during a subsequent mass-transfer phase. The two observed classes of binary radio pulsars (very close and very wide systems, respectively) are expected to have been formed by the later evolution of binaries consisting of a neutron star and a normal companion star, in which the companion was (considerably) more massive than the neutron star, or less massive than the neutron star, respectively. In the first case the companion of the neutron star in the final system will be a fairly massive white dwarf, in a circular orbit, or a neutron star in an eccentric orbit. In the second case the final companion to the neutron star will be a low-mass (approx. 0.3 Msub solar) helium white dwarf in a wide and nearly circular orbit. In systems of the second type the neutron star was most probably formed by the accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf. This explains why PSR 1953+29 has a millisecond rotation period and why PSR 0820+02 has not. Binary coalescence models for the formation of the 1.5 millisecond pulsar appear to be viable. The companion to the neutron star may have been a low-mass red dwarf, a neutron star, or a massive (> 0.7 Msub solar) white dwarf. In the red-dwarf case the progenitor system probably was a CV binary in which the white dwarf collapsed by accretion. 66 references, 6 figures, 1 table

The Role of Binarity in the Angular Momentum Evolution of M Dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Stauffer, John; Rebull, Luisa; K2 clusters team

2018-01-01

We have analysed K2 light curves for of order a thousand low mass stars in each of the 8 Myr old Upper Sco association, the 125 Myr age Pleiades open cluster and the ~700 Myr old Praesepe cluster. A very large fraction of these stars show well-determined rotation periods with K2, and where the star is a binary, we usually are able to determine periods for both stars. In Upper Sco, where there are ~150 M dwarf binaries with K2 light curves, the binary stars have periods that are much shorter on average and much closer to each other than would be true if drawn at random from the Upper Sco M dwarf single stars. The same is true in the Pleiades,though the size of the differences from the single M dwarf population is smaller. By Praesepe age, the M dwarf binaries are still somewhat rapidly rotating but their period differences are not significantly different from what would be true if drawn by chance from the singles.

STUDYING THE PHYSICAL DIVERSITY OF LATE-M DWARFS WITH DYNAMICAL MASSES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dupuy, Trent J.; Liu, Michael C.; Bowler, Brendan P.; Cushing, Michael C.; Helling, Christiane; Witte, Soeren; Hauschildt, Peter

2010-01-01

We present a systematic study of the physical properties of late-M dwarfs based on high-quality dynamical mass measurements and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. We use astrometry from Keck natural and laser guide star adaptive optics imaging to determine orbits for the late-M binaries LP 349 - 25AB (M7.5+M8), LHS 1901AB (M6.5+M6.5), and Gl 569Bab (M8.5+M9). We find that LP 349 - 25AB (M tot = 0.120 +0.008 -0.007 M sun ) is a pair of young brown dwarfs for which Lyon and Tucson evolutionary models jointly predict an age of 140 ± 30 Myr, consistent with the age of the Pleiades. However, at least the primary component seems to defy the empirical Pleiades lithium depletion boundary, implying that the system is in fact older (if the parallax is correct) and that evolutionary models under-predict the component luminosities for this magnetically active binary. We find that LHS 1901AB is a pair of very low-mass stars (M tot = 0.194 +0.025 -0.021 M sun ) with evolutionary model-derived ages consistent with the old age (>6 Gyr) implied by its lack of activity. Our improved orbit for Gl 569Bab results in a higher mass for this binary (M tot = 0.140 +0.009 -0.008 M sun ) compared to previous work (0.125 ± 0.007 M sun ). We use these mass measurements along with our published results for 2MASS J2206 - 2047AB (M8+M8) to test four sets of ultracool model atmospheres currently in use. Fitting these models to our NIR integrated-light spectra provides temperature estimates warmer by ∼250 K than those derived independently from Dusty evolutionary models given the measured masses and luminosities. We propose that model atmospheres are more likely to be the source of this discrepancy, as it would be difficult to explain a uniform temperature offset over such a wide range of masses, ages, and activity levels in the context of evolutionary models. This contrasts with the conclusion of Konopacky et al. that model-predicted masses (given input T eff and L bol ) are at fault for

A RADIO SEARCH FOR PULSAR COMPANIONS TO SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY LOW-MASS WHITE DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agueeros, Marcel A.; Camilo, Fernando; Silvestri, Nicole M.; Anderson, Scott F.; Kleinman, S. J.; Liebert, James W.

2009-01-01

We have conducted a search for pulsar companions to 15 low-mass white dwarfs (LMWDs; M sun ) at 820 MHz with the NRAO Green Bank Telescope (GBT). These LMWDs were spectroscopically identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and do not show the photometric excess or spectroscopic signature associated with a companion in their discovery data. However, LMWDs are believed to evolve in binary systems and to have either a more massive white dwarf (WD) or a neutron star (NS) as a companion. Indeed, evolutionary models of low-mass X-ray binaries, the precursors of millisecond pulsars (MSPs), produce significant numbers of LMWDs, suggesting that the SDSS LMWDs may have NS companions. No convincing pulsar signal is detected in our data. This is consistent with the findings of van Leeuwen et al., who conducted a GBT search for radio pulsations at 340 MHz from unseen companions to eight SDSS WDs (five are still considered LMWDs; the three others are now classified as 'ordinary' WDs). We discuss the constraints our nondetections place on the probability P MSP that the companion to a given LMWD is a radio pulsar in the context of the luminosity and acceleration limits of our search; we find that P MSP +4 -2 %.

Formation and Evolution of Neutron Star Binaries: Masses of Neutron Stars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Chang-Hwan

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Neutron star (NS is one of the most interesting astrophysical compact objects for hardronic physics. It is believed that the central density of NS can reach several times the normal nuclear matter density (ρ0. Hence, the inner part of NS is the ultimate testing place for the physics of dense matter. Recently, the mass of NS in a NS-white dwarf (WD binary PSR J1614-2230 has been estimated to be 1.97 ± 0.04M๏ [1]. Since this estimate is based on the observed Shapiro delay, it can give the lower limit of the maximum NS mass and rules out many soft equations of state. On the other hand, all the well-measured NS masses in NS-NS binaries are smaller than 1.5M๏. In this work, by introducing the supercritical accretion during the binary evolution, we propose a possibility of forming higher mass NS in NS-WD binaries. In this scenario, the lifetimes of NS and WD progenitors are significantly different, and NS in NS-WD binary can accrete > 0.5M๏ after NS formation during the giant phase of the progenitor of WD. On the other hand, for the binary system with NS and heavier (> 8M๏ giants, the first-born NS will accrete more from the companion and can collapse into black hole. The only way to avoid the supercritical accretion is that the initial masses of progenitors of NS binary should be very close so that they evolve almost at the same time and don’t have time to accrete after NS formation.

NO NEUTRON STAR COMPANION TO THE LOWEST MASS SDSS WHITE DWARF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agueeros, Marcel A.; Camilo, Fernando; Heinke, Craig; Kilic, Mukremin; Anderson, Scott F.; Silvestri, Nicole M.; Freire, Paulo; Kleinman, Scot J.; Liebert, James W.

2009-01-01

SDSS J091709.55+463821.8 (hereafter J0917+4638) is the lowest surface gravity white dwarf (WD) currently known, with log g = 5.55 ± 0.05 (M ∼ 0.17 M sun ). Such low-mass white dwarfs (LMWDs) are believed to originate in binaries that evolve into WD/WD or WD/neutron star (NS) systems. An optical search for J0917+4638's companion showed that it must be a compact object with a mass ≥0.28 M sun . Here we report on Green Bank Telescope 820 MHz and XMM-Newton X-ray observations of J0917+4638 intended to uncover a potential NS companion to the LMWD. No convincing pulsar signal is detected in our radio data. Our X-ray observation also failed to detect X-ray emission from J0917+4638's companion, while we would have detected any of the millisecond radio pulsars in 47 Tuc. We conclude that the companion is almost certainly another WD.

THE ELM SURVEY. III. A SUCCESSFUL TARGETED SURVEY FOR EXTREMELY LOW MASS WHITE DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Warren R.; Kenyon, Scott J.; Kilic, Mukremin; Allende Prieto, Carlos

2012-01-01

Extremely low mass (ELM) white dwarfs (WDs) with masses ☉ are rare objects that result from compact binary evolution. Here, we present a targeted spectroscopic survey of ELM WD candidates selected by color. The survey is 71% complete and has uncovered 18 new ELM WDs. Of the seven ELM WDs with follow-up observations, six are short-period binaries and four have merger times less than 5 Gyr. The most intriguing object, J1741+6526, likely has either a pulsar companion or a massive WD companion making the system a possible supernova Type Ia or an Ia progenitor. The overall ELM survey has now identified 19 double degenerate binaries with <10 Gyr merger times. The significant absence of short orbital period ELM WDs at cool temperatures suggests that common envelope evolution creates ELM WDs directly in short period systems. At least one-third of the merging systems are halo objects, thus ELM WD binaries continue to form and merge in both the disk and the halo.

A Multi-wavelength Study of the Close M-dwarf Eclipsing Binary System BX Tri

Science.gov (United States)

Perdelwitz, V.; Czesla, S.; Robrade, J.; Schmitt, J. H. M. M.

2015-01-01

We present the first detailed X-ray study of the close dMe binary system BX Tri, whose optical variation has been continously monitored in the frame of the DWARF project (Pribulla et al.(2012)). We observed BX Tri with XMM-Newton for two full orbital periods and confirm that the system is an ultra-active M-dwarf binary showing frequent flares and an X-ray luminosity close to the saturation limit. The strong magnetic activity could have influenced the angular momentum evolution of the system via magnetic braking.

Gravitational waves from double white dwarfs and AM CVn binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelemans, Gijs

2003-01-01

I give a brief overview of our model for the galactic population of compact binaries that is used to predict the low-frequency gravitational wave signal from the galaxy, and discuss recent observational developments that will enable us to test and improve this model. The SPY project will discover some 150 new close double white dwarfs and, recently, two ROSAT sources turned out to be new AM CVn candidates, one with an orbital period of only 5 min. I give an update on the expected binaries that will be resolved by LISA and discuss what we can learn about the galactic population of compact binaries once LISA gives her first results

Pruning The ELM Survey: Characterizing Candidate Low-mass White Dwarfs through Photometric Variability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bell, Keaton J.; Winget, D. E.; Montgomery, M. H.; Castanheira, B. G.; Vanderbosch, Z.; Winget, K. I. [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Gianninas, A.; Kilic, Mukremin [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Hermes, J. J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 (United States); Brown, Warren R., E-mail: keatonb@astro.as.utexas.edu [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2017-02-01

We assess the photometric variability of nine stars with spectroscopic T {sub eff} and log g values from the ELM Survey that locates them near the empirical extremely low-mass (ELM) white dwarf instability strip. We discover three new pulsating stars: SDSS J135512.34+195645.4, SDSS J173521.69+213440.6, and SDSS J213907.42+222708.9. However, these are among the few ELM Survey objects that do not show radial velocity (RV) variations that confirm the binary nature expected of helium-core white dwarfs. The dominant 4.31 hr pulsation in SDSS J135512.34+195645.4 far exceeds the theoretical cut-off for surface reflection in a white dwarf, and this target is likely a high-amplitude δ Scuti pulsator with an overestimated surface gravity. We estimate the probability to be less than 0.0008 that the lack of measured RV variations in four of eight other pulsating candidate ELM white dwarfs could be due to low orbital inclination. Two other targets exhibit variability as photometric binaries. Partial coverage of the 19.342 hr orbit of WD J030818.19+514011.5 reveals deep eclipses that imply a primary radius >0.4 R {sub ⊙}—too large to be consistent with an ELM white dwarf. The only object for which our time series photometry adds support to ELM white dwarf classification is SDSS J105435.78−212155.9, which has consistent signatures of Doppler beaming and ellipsoidal variations. We conclude that the ELM Survey contains multiple false positives from another stellar population at T {sub eff}≲9000 K, possibly related to the sdA stars recently reported from SDSS spectra.

Analysis of the southern pre-contact W UMa binary ZZ Eridani: A 34 year period study yields a possible low-mass companion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samec, R. G. [Faculty Research Associate, Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, One Pari Drive, Rosman, NC 28772 (United States); Clark, J. D. [Astronomy Group, Physics and Engineering Department, Bob Jones University, 1700 Wade Hampton Boulevard, Greenville, SC 29614 (United States); Hamme, W. Van [Physics Department, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199 (United States); Faulkner, D. R. [University of South Carolina, Lancaster, 476 Hubbard Drive Lancaster, SC 29720 (United States)

2015-02-01

Complete Bessel BVRI light curves of ZZ Eridani [2MASS J04130109-1044545, HV 6280, NSVS 14888164 α(2000) = 04{sup h}13{sup m}1{sub ·}{sup s}10, δ(2000) = −10°44′54{sub ·}{sup ″}5 (ICRS), V = 13.9-14.4-15.0] are observed and analyzed. The system is a southern pre-contact W UMa binary. Its light curve has the appearance of an Algol (EA) light curve, however, it is made up of dwarf solar-type components with a period of only 0.4521 days. Our 34 year period study yields a sinusoidal fit or an increasing quadratic fit. The sinusoid may indicate that a third body is orbiting the close binary. The lower-limit mass of the third body is near that of the brown dwarf limit (0.095 M α). Also included is an improved ephemeris, a mass ratio search, and a simultaneous BVRI Wilson–Devinney solution.

Masses of the components of SB2 binaries observed with Gaia - IV. Accurate SB2 orbits for 14 binaries and masses of three binaries*

Science.gov (United States)

Kiefer, F.; Halbwachs, J.-L.; Lebreton, Y.; Soubiran, C.; Arenou, F.; Pourbaix, D.; Famaey, B.; Guillout, P.; Ibata, R.; Mazeh, T.

2018-02-01

The orbital motion of non-contact double-lined spectroscopic binaries (SB2s), with periods of a few tens of days to several years, holds unique, accurate information on individual stellar masses, which only long-term monitoring can unlock. The combination of radial velocity measurements from high-resolution spectrographs and astrometric measurements from high-precision interferometers allows the derivation of SB2 component masses down to the percent precision. Since 2010, we have observed a large sample of SB2s with the SOPHIE spectrograph at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence, aiming at the derivation of orbital elements with sufficient accuracy to obtain masses of components with relative errors as low as 1 per cent when the astrometric measurements of the Gaia satellite are taken into account. In this paper, we present the results from 6 yr of observations of 14 SB2 systems with periods ranging from 33 to 4185 days. Using the TODMOR algorithm, we computed radial velocities from the spectra and then derived the orbital elements of these binary systems. The minimum masses of the 28 stellar components are then obtained with an average sample accuracy of 1.0 ± 0.2 per cent. Combining the radial velocities with existing interferometric measurements, we derived the masses of the primary and secondary components of HIP 61100, HIP 95995 and HIP 101382 with relative errors for components (A,B) of, respectively, (2.0, 1.7) per cent, (3.7, 3.7) per cent and (0.2, 0.1) per cent. Using the CESAM2K stellar evolution code, we constrained the initial He abundance, age and metallicity for HIP 61100 and HIP 95995.

The Masses and Evolutionary State of the Stars in the Dwarf Nova SS Cygni

Science.gov (United States)

Bitner, Martin A.; Robinson, Edward L.; Behr, Bradford B.

2007-06-01

The dwarf nova SS Cygni is a close binary star consisting of a K star transferring mass to a white dwarf by way of an accretion disk. We have obtained new spectroscopic observations of SS Cyg. Fits of synthetic spectra for Roche lobe-filling stars to the absorption-line spectrum of the K star yield the amplitude of the K star's radial velocity curve and the mass ratio, KK=162.5+/-1.0 km s-1 and q=MK/MWD=0.685+/-0.015. The fits also show that the accretion disk and white dwarf contribute a fraction f=0.535+/-0.075 of the total flux at 5500 Å. Taking the weighted average of our results with previously published results obtained using similar techniques, we find =163.7+/-0.7 km s-1 and =0.683+/-0.012. The orbital light curve of SS Cyg shows an ellipsoidal variation diluted by light from the disk and white dwarf. From an analysis of the ellipsoidal variations, we limit the orbital inclination to the range 45degAustin, the Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

TIDAL INTERACTIONS IN MERGING WHITE DWARF BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piro, Anthony L.

2011-01-01

The recently discovered system J0651 is the tightest known detached white dwarf (WD) binary. Since it has not yet initiated Roche-lobe overflow, it provides a relatively clean environment for testing our understanding of tidal interactions. I investigate the tidal heating of each WD, parameterized in terms of its tidal Q parameter. Assuming that the heating can be radiated efficiently, the current luminosities are consistent with Q 1 ∼ 7 x 10 10 and Q 2 ∼ 2 x 10 7 , for the He and C/O WDs, respectively. Conversely, if the observed luminosities are merely from the cooling of the WDs, these estimated values of Q represent the upper limits. A large Q 1 for the He WD means its spin velocity will be slower than that expected if it was tidally locked, which, since the binary is eclipsing, may be measurable via the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. After one year, gravitational wave emission shifts the time of eclipses by 5.5 s, but tidal interactions cause the orbit to shrink more rapidly, changing the time by up to an additional 0.3 s after a year. Future eclipse timing measurements may therefore infer the degree of tidal locking.

Spiral Disk Instability Can Drive Thermonuclear Explosions in Binary White Dwarf Mergers

OpenAIRE

Kashyap, Rahul; Fisher, Robert; García-Berro, Enrique; Aznar-Siguán, Gabriela; Ji, Suoqing; Lorén-Aguilar, Pablo

2015-01-01

Thermonuclear, or Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), originate from the explosion of carbon-oxygen white dwarfs, and serve as standardizable cosmological candles. However, despite their importance, the nature of the progenitor systems that give rise to SNe Ia has not been hitherto elucidated. Observational evidence favors the double-degenerate channel in which merging white dwarf binaries lead to SNe Ia. Furthermore, significant discrepancies exist between observations and theory, and to date, ther...

WIND-ACCRETION DISKS IN WIDE BINARIES, SECOND-GENERATION PROTOPLANETARY DISKS, AND ACCRETION ONTO WHITE DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perets, Hagai B.; Kenyon, Scott J.

2013-01-01

Mass transfer from an evolved donor star to its binary companion is a standard feature of stellar evolution in binaries. In wide binaries, the companion star captures some of the mass ejected in a wind by the primary star. The captured material forms an accretion disk. Here, we study the evolution of wind-accretion disks, using a numerical approach which allows us to follow the long-term evolution. For a broad range of initial conditions, we derive the radial density and temperature profiles of the disk. In most cases, wind accretion leads to long-lived stable disks over the lifetime of the asymptotic giant branch donor star. The disks have masses of a few times 10 –5 -10 –3 M ☉ , with surface density and temperature profiles that follow broken power laws. The total mass in the disk scales approximately linearly with the viscosity parameter used. Roughly, 50%-80% of the mass falling into the disk accretes onto the central star; the rest flows out through the outer edge of the disk into the stellar wind of the primary. For systems with large accretion rates, the secondary accretes as much as 0.1 M ☉ . When the secondary is a white dwarf, accretion naturally leads to nova and supernova eruptions. For all types of secondary star, the surface density and temperature profiles of massive disks resemble structures observed in protoplanetary disks, suggesting that coordinated observational programs might improve our understanding of uncertain disk physics.

White dwarf stars exceeding the Chandrasekhar mass limit

Science.gov (United States)

Tomaschitz, Roman

2018-01-01

The effect of nonlinear ultra-relativistic electron dispersion on the mass-radius relation of high-mass white dwarfs is studied. The dispersion is described by a permeability tensor in the Dirac equation, generated by the ionized high-density stellar matter, which constitutes the neutralizing background of the nearly degenerate electron plasma. The electron dispersion results in a stable mass-radius relation for high-mass white dwarfs, in contrast to a mass limit in the case of vacuum permeabilities. In the ultra-relativistic regime, the dispersion relation is a power law whose amplitude and scaling exponent is inferred from mass and radius estimates of two high-mass white dwarfs, Sirius B and LHS 4033. Evidence for the existence of super-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs is provided by several Type Ia supernovae (e.g., SN 2013cv, SN 2003fg, SN 2007if and SN 2009dc), whose mass ejecta exceed the Chandrasekhar limit by up to a factor of two. The dispersive mass-radius relation is used to estimate the radii, central densities, Fermi temperatures, bulk and compression moduli and sound velocities of their white dwarf progenitors.

WHITE DWARF-RED DWARF SYSTEMS RESOLVED WITH THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE. II. FULL SNAPSHOT SURVEY RESULTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farihi, J.; Hoard, D. W.; Wachter, S.

2010-01-01

Results are presented for a Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys high-resolution imaging campaign of 90 white dwarfs with known or suspected low-mass stellar and substellar companions. Of the 72 targets that remain candidate and confirmed white dwarfs with near-infrared excess, 43 are spatially resolved into two or more components, and a total of 12 systems are potentially triples. For 68 systems where a comparison is possible, 50% have significant photometric distance mismatches between their white dwarf and M dwarf components, suggesting that white dwarf parameters derived spectroscopically are often biased due to the cool companion. Interestingly, 9 of the 30 binaries known to have emission lines are found to be visual pairs and hence widely separated, indicating an intrinsically active cool star and not irradiation from the white dwarf. There is a possible, slight deficit of earlier spectral types (bluer colors) among the spatially unresolved companions, exactly the opposite of expectations if significant mass is transferred to the companion during the common envelope phase. Using the best available distance estimates, the low-mass companions to white dwarfs exhibit a bimodal distribution in projected separation. This result supports the hypothesis that during the giant phases of the white dwarf progenitor, any unevolved companions either migrate inward to short periods of hours to days, or outward to periods of hundreds to thousands of years. No intermediate projected separations of a few to several AU are found among these pairs. However, a few double M dwarfs (within triples) are spatially resolved in this range, empirically demonstrating that such separations were readily detectable among the binaries with white dwarfs. A straightforward and testable prediction emerges: all spatially unresolved, low-mass stellar and substellar companions to white dwarfs should be in short-period orbits. This result has implications for substellar companion and

Understanding of variability properties in very low mass stars and brown dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Mondal, Soumen; Ghosh, Samrat; Khata, Dhrimadri; Joshi, Santosh; Das, Ramkrishna

2018-04-01

We report on photometric variability studies of a L3.5 brown dwarf 2MASS J00361617+1821104 (2M0036+18) in the field and of four young brown dwarfs in the star-forming region IC 348. From muti-epoch observations, we found significant periodic variability in 2M0036+18 with a period of 2.66 ± 0.55 hours on one occasion while it seemed to be non-variable on three other occasions. An evolving dust cloud might cause such a scenario. Among four young brown dwarfs of IC 348 in the spectral range M7.25 - M8, one brown dwarf 2MASS J03443921+3208138 shows significant variability. The K-band spectra (2.0-2.4 μm) of nine very low mass stars (M1 - M9 V) are used to characterize the water band index (H20-K2). We found that it is strongly correlated with the surface temperature of M dwarfs.

Innocent Bystanders and Smoking Guns: Dwarf Carbon Stars

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Green, Paul J.

2014-01-01

As far as we know, most carbon throughout the Universe is created and dispersed by AGB stars. So it was at first surprising to find that the carbon stars most prevalent in the Galaxy are in fact dwarfs. We suspect that dC stars are most likely innocent bystanders in post-mass transfer binaries, and may be predominantly metal-poor. Among 1200 C stars found in the SDSS (Green 2013), we confirm 724 dCs, of which a dozen are DA/dC stars in composite spectrum binaries, quadrupling the total sample of these "smoking guns" for AGB binary mass transfer. The dCs likely span absolute magnitudes M_i from about 6.5 to 10.5. G-type dC stars with weak CN and relatively blue colors are probably the most massive dCs still cool enough to show C_2 bands. Eleven very red C stars with strong red CN bands appear to be N-type AGB stars at large Galactocentric distances, one likely a new discovery in the dIrr galaxy Le A. Two such stars within 30arcmin of each other may trace a previously unidentified dwarf galaxy or tidal stream at ~40 kpc. We describe follow-up projects to study the spatial, kinematic, and binary properties of these C-enriched dwarfs.

THE ELM SURVEY. III. A SUCCESSFUL TARGETED SURVEY FOR EXTREMELY LOW MASS WHITE DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Warren R.; Kenyon, Scott J. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Kilic, Mukremin [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, 440 W. Brooks St., Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Allende Prieto, Carlos, E-mail: wbrown@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: skenyon@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: kilic@ou.edu, E-mail: callende@iac.es [Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, E-38205, La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)

2012-01-10

Extremely low mass (ELM) white dwarfs (WDs) with masses < 0.25 M{sub Sun} are rare objects that result from compact binary evolution. Here, we present a targeted spectroscopic survey of ELM WD candidates selected by color. The survey is 71% complete and has uncovered 18 new ELM WDs. Of the seven ELM WDs with follow-up observations, six are short-period binaries and four have merger times less than 5 Gyr. The most intriguing object, J1741+6526, likely has either a pulsar companion or a massive WD companion making the system a possible supernova Type Ia or an Ia progenitor. The overall ELM survey has now identified 19 double degenerate binaries with <10 Gyr merger times. The significant absence of short orbital period ELM WDs at cool temperatures suggests that common envelope evolution creates ELM WDs directly in short period systems. At least one-third of the merging systems are halo objects, thus ELM WD binaries continue to form and merge in both the disk and the halo.

Searching for Binary Systems Among Nearby Dwarfs Based on Pulkovo Observations and SDSS Data

Science.gov (United States)

Khovrichev, M. Yu.; Apetyan, A. A.; Roshchina, E. A.; Izmailov, I. S.; Bikulova, D. A.; Ershova, A. P.; Balyaev, I. A.; Kulikova, A. M.; Petyur, V. V.; Shumilov, A. A.; Os'kina, K. I.; Maksimova, L. A.

2018-02-01

Our goal is to find previously unknown binary systems among low-mass dwarfs in the solar neighborhood and to test the search technique. The basic ideas are to reveal the images of stars with significant ellipticities and/or asymmetries compared to the background stars on CCD frames and to subsequently determine the spatial parameters of the binary system and the magnitude difference between its components. For its realization we have developed a method based on an image shapelet decomposition. All of the comparatively faint stars with large proper motions ( V >13 m , μ > 300 mas yr-1) for which the "duplicate source" flag in the Gaia DR1 catalogue is equal to one have been included in the list of objects for our study. As a result, we have selected 702 stars. To verify our results, we have performed additional observations of 65 stars from this list with the Pulkovo 1-m "Saturn" telescope (2016-2017). We have revealed a total of 138 binary candidates (nine of them from the "Saturn" telescope and SDSS data). Six program stars are known binaries. The images of the primaries of the comparatively wide pairs WDS 14519+5147, WDS 11371+6022, and WDS 15404+2500 are shown to be resolved into components; therefore, we can talk about the detection of triple systems. The angular separation ρ, position angle, and component magnitude difference Δ m have been estimated for almost all of the revealed binary systems. For most stars 1.5'' < ρ < 2.5'', while Δ m <1.5m.

Deriving the true mass of an unresolved Brown Dwarf companion to an M-Dwarf with AO aided astrometry*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kürster M.

2011-07-01

Full Text Available From radial velocity (RV detections alone one does not get all orbital parameters needed to derive the true mass of a non-transiting, unresolved substellar companion to a star. Additional astrometric measurements are needed to calculate the inclination and the longitude of the ascending node. Until today only few true substellar companion masses have been determined by this method with the HST fine guidance sensor [1, 2]. We aim to derive the true mass of a brown dwarf candidate companion to an early M 2.5V dwarf with groundbased high-resolution astrometry aided by adaptive optics. We found this unique brown dwarf desert object, whose distance to the host star is only 0.42 AU, in our UVES precision RV survey of M dwarfs, inferring a minimum companion mass of 27 Jupiter masses [3]. Combining the data with HIPPARCOS astrometry, we found a probability of only 2.9% that the companion is stellar. We therefore observed the host star together with a reference star within a monitoring program with VLT/NACO to derive the true mass of the companion and establish its nature (brown dwarf vs. star. Simultaneous observations of a reference field in a globular cluster are performed to determine the stability of the adaptive optics (AO plus detector system and check its suitability for such high-precision astrometric measurements over several epochs which are needed to find and analyse extrasolar planet systems.

Gravitational wave radiation from a double white dwarf system inside our galaxy: a potential method for seeking strange dwarfs

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhan-Kui Lü; Shi-Wei Wu; Zhi-Cheng Zeng

2009-01-01

Like the investigation of double white dwarf (DWD) systems, strange dwarf (SD) - white dwarf (WD) system evolution in Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)'s absolute amplitude-frequency diagram is investigated. Since there is a strange quark core inside an SD, SDs' radii are significantly smaller than the value predicted by the standard WD model, which may strongly affect the gravitational wave (GW) signal in the mass-transferring phases of binary systems. We study how an SD-WD binary evolves across LISA's absolute amplitude-frequency diagram. In principle, we provide an executable way to detect SDs in the Galaxy's DWD systems by radically new windows offered by GW detectors.

WIND-ACCRETION DISKS IN WIDE BINARIES, SECOND-GENERATION PROTOPLANETARY DISKS, AND ACCRETION ONTO WHITE DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perets, Hagai B. [Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (Israel); Kenyon, Scott J., E-mail: hperets@physics.technion.ac.il [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2013-02-20

Mass transfer from an evolved donor star to its binary companion is a standard feature of stellar evolution in binaries. In wide binaries, the companion star captures some of the mass ejected in a wind by the primary star. The captured material forms an accretion disk. Here, we study the evolution of wind-accretion disks, using a numerical approach which allows us to follow the long-term evolution. For a broad range of initial conditions, we derive the radial density and temperature profiles of the disk. In most cases, wind accretion leads to long-lived stable disks over the lifetime of the asymptotic giant branch donor star. The disks have masses of a few times 10{sup -5}-10{sup -3} M {sub Sun }, with surface density and temperature profiles that follow broken power laws. The total mass in the disk scales approximately linearly with the viscosity parameter used. Roughly, 50%-80% of the mass falling into the disk accretes onto the central star; the rest flows out through the outer edge of the disk into the stellar wind of the primary. For systems with large accretion rates, the secondary accretes as much as 0.1 M {sub Sun }. When the secondary is a white dwarf, accretion naturally leads to nova and supernova eruptions. For all types of secondary star, the surface density and temperature profiles of massive disks resemble structures observed in protoplanetary disks, suggesting that coordinated observational programs might improve our understanding of uncertain disk physics.

Intermediate-mass black holes in dwarf galaxies out to redshift ˜ 2.4 in the Chandra COSMOS Legacy Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Mezcua, M.; Civano, F.; Marchesi, S.; Suh, H.; Fabbiano, G.; Volonteri, M.

2018-05-01

We present a sample of 40 AGN in dwarf galaxies at redshifts z ≲ 2.4. The galaxies are drawn from the Chandra COSMOS-Legacy survey as having stellar masses 107 ≤ M* ≤ 3 × 109 M⊙. Most of the dwarf galaxies are star-forming. After removing the contribution from star formation to the X-ray emission, the AGN luminosities of the 40 dwarf galaxies are in the range L0.5-10keV ˜ 1039 - 1044 erg s-1. With 12 sources at z > 0.5, our sample constitutes the highest-redshift discovery of AGN in dwarf galaxies. The record-holder is cid_1192, at z = 2.39 and with L0.5-10keV ˜ 1044 erg s-1. One of the dwarf galaxies has M* = 6.6 × 107 M⊙ and is the least massive galaxy found so far to host an AGN. All the AGN are of type 2 and consistent with hosting intermediate-mass black holes (BHs) with masses ˜104 - 105 M⊙ and typical Eddington ratios >1%. We also study the evolution, corrected for completeness, of AGN fraction with stellar mass, X-ray luminosity, and redshift in dwarf galaxies out to z = 0.7. We find that the AGN fraction for 109 < M* ≤ 3 × 109 M⊙ and LX ˜ 1041 - 1042 erg s-1 is ˜0.4% for z ≤ 0.3 and that it decreases with X-ray luminosity and decreasing stellar mass. Unlike massive galaxies, the AGN fraction seems to decrease with redshift, suggesting that AGN in dwarf galaxies evolve differently than those in high-mass galaxies. Mindful of potential caveats, the results seem to favor a direct collapse formation mechanism for the seed BHs in the early Universe.

Implications of the dwarfs spheroidal galaxy mass-metallicity relation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, G.H.

1985-01-01

The properties of the mass-metallicity relation among dwarf spheroidal galaxies are discussed in terms of a model which assumes that the internal chemical evolution of the dwarf spheroidals was promoted by supernova activity. The model can be used to explain the observed dwarf spheroidal mass-metallicity relation assuming the present mass of these systems M sub s is proportional to their initial masses M as M sub s varies according to a power-law index of exp 7/4. It is inferred from the power-law dependence of M on the proto-cloud radius that the most massive dwarf spheroids were formed from the densest clouds. The observed slope of the mass-metallicity relation for dwarf spheroidal galaxies is found to be significantly different from theoretical estimates of this slope for elliptical galaxies. It is suggested that the difference may imply that spheroidal dwarfs and elliptical galaxies had different formation histories, confirming Kormendy's (1985) observations of differences in the brightness and luminosity trends. 54 references

Surface Inhomogeneities of the White Dwarf in the Binary EUVE J2013+400

Science.gov (United States)

Vennes, Stephane

We propose to study the white dwarf in the binary EUVE J2013+400. The object is paired with a dMe star and new extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations will offer critical insights into the properties of the white dwarf. The binary behaves, in every other aspects, like its siblings EUVE J0720-317 and EUVE J1016-053 and new EUV observations will help establish their class properties; in particular, EUV photometric variations in 0720-317 and 1016-053 over a period of 11 hours and 57 minutes, respectively, are indicative of surface abundance inhomogeneities coupled with the white dwarfs rotation period. These variations and their large photospheric helium abundance are best explained by a diffusion-accretion model in which time-variable accretion and possible coupling to magnetic poles contribute to abundance variations across the surface and possibly as a function of depth. EUV spectroscopy will also enable a study of the helium abundance as a function of depth and a detailed comparison with theoretical diffusion profile.

Mass transfer dynamics in double degenerate binary systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dan, M; Rosswog, S; Brueggen, M

2009-01-01

We present a numerical study of the mass transfer dynamics prior to the gravitational wave-driven merger of a double white dwarf system. Recently, there has been some discussion about the dynamics of these last stages, different methods seemed to provide qualitatively different results. While earlier SPH simulations indicated a very quick disruption of the binary on roughly the orbital time scale, more recent grid-based calculations find long-lived mass transfer for many orbital periods. Here we demonstrate how sensitive the dynamics of this last stage is to the exact initial conditions. We show that, after a careful preparation of the initial conditions, the reportedly short-lived systems undergo mass transfer for many dozens of orbits. The reported numbers of orbits are resolution-biased and therefore represent only lower limits to what is realized in nature. Nevertheless, the study shows convincingly the convergence of different methods to very similar results.

THE DISCOVERY OF BINARY WHITE DWARFS THAT WILL MERGE WITHIN 500 Myr

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilic, Mukremin; Brown, Warren R.; Kenyon, S. J.; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Panei, J. A.

2010-01-01

We present radial velocity observations of four extremely low-mass (0.2 M sun ) white dwarfs (WDs). All four stars show peak-to-peak radial velocity variations of 540-710 km s -1 with 1.0-5.9 hr periods. The optical photometry rules out main-sequence companions. In addition, no millisecond pulsar companions are detected in radio observations. Thus, the invisible companions are most likely WDs. Two of the systems are the shortest period binary WDs yet discovered. Due to the loss of angular momentum through gravitational radiation, three of the systems will merge within 500 Myr. The remaining system will merge within a Hubble time. The mass functions for three of the systems imply companions more massive than 0.46 M sun ; thus, those are carbon/oxygen core WDs. The unknown inclination angles prohibit a definitive conclusion about the future of these systems. However, the chance of a supernova Ia event is only 1%-5%. These systems are likely to form single R Coronae Borealis stars, providing evidence for a WD + WD merger mechanism for these unusual objects. One of the systems, SDSS J105353.89+520031.0, has a 70% chance of having a low-mass WD companion. This system will probably form a single helium-enriched subdwarf O star. All four WD systems have unusual mass ratios of ≤0.2-0.8 that may also lead to the formation of AM CVn systems.

THE ROMER DELAY AND MASS RATIO OF THE sdB+dM BINARY 2M 1938+4603 FROM KEPLER ECLIPSE TIMINGS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barlow, Brad N.; Wade, Richard A.; Liss, Sandra E. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Lab, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

2012-07-10

The eclipsing binary system 2M 1938+4603 consists of a pulsating hot subdwarf B star and a cool M dwarf companion in an effectively circular three-hour orbit. The light curve shows both primary and secondary eclipses, along with a strong reflection effect from the cool companion. Here, we present constraints on the component masses and eccentricity derived from the Romer delay of the secondary eclipse. Using six months of publicly available Kepler photometry obtained in short-cadence mode, we fit model profiles to the primary and secondary eclipses to measure their centroid values. We find that the secondary eclipse arrives on average 2.06 {+-} 0.12 s after the midpoint between primary eclipses. Under the assumption of a circular orbit, we calculate from this time delay a mass ratio of q = 0.2691 {+-} 0.0018 and individual masses of M{sub sd} = 0.372 {+-} 0.024 M{sub Sun} and M{sub c} = 0.1002 {+-} 0.0065 M{sub Sun} for the sdB and M dwarf, respectively. These results differ slightly from those of a previously published light-curve modeling solution; this difference, however, may be reconciled with a very small eccentricity, ecos {omega} Almost-Equal-To 0.00004. We also report a decrease in the orbital period of P-dot = (-1.23 {+-} 0.07) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -10}.

The BDNYC database of low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary mass companions

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Kelle; Rodriguez, David; Filippazzo, Joseph; Gonzales, Eileen; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Rice, Emily; BDNYC

2018-01-01

We present a web-interface to a database of low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary mass companions. Users can send SELECT SQL queries to the database, perform searches by coordinates or name, check the database inventory on specified objects, and even plot spectra interactively. The initial version of this database contains information for 198 objects and version 2 will contain over 1000 objects. The database currently includes photometric data from 2MASS, WISE, and Spitzer and version 2 will include a significant portion of the publicly available optical and NIR spectra for brown dwarfs. The database is maintained and curated by the BDNYC research group and we welcome contributions from other researchers via GitHub.

BINARY FORMATION MECHANISMS: CONSTRAINTS FROM THE COMPANION MASS RATIO DISTRIBUTION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reggiani, Maddalena M.; Meyer, Michael R.

2011-01-01

We present a statistical comparison of the mass ratio distribution of companions, as observed in different multiplicity surveys, to the most recent estimate of the single-object mass function. The main goal of our analysis is to test whether or not the observed companion mass ratio distribution (CMRD) as a function of primary star mass and star formation environment is consistent with having been drawn from the field star initial mass function (IMF). We consider samples of companions for M dwarfs, solar-type stars, and intermediate-mass stars, both in the field as well as clusters or associations, and compare them with populations of binaries generated by random pairing from the assumed IMF for a fixed primary mass. With regard to the field we can reject the hypothesis that the CMRD was drawn from the IMF for different primary mass ranges: the observed CMRDs show a larger number of equal-mass systems than predicted by the IMF. This is in agreement with fragmentation theories of binary formation. For the open clusters α Persei and the Pleiades we also reject the IMF random-pairing hypothesis. Concerning young star-forming regions, currently we can rule out a connection between the CMRD and the field IMF in Taurus but not in Chamaeleon I. Larger and different samples are needed to better constrain the result as a function of the environment. We also consider other companion mass functions and we compare them with observations. Moreover the CMRD both in the field and clusters or associations appears to be independent of separation in the range covered by the observations. Combining therefore the CMRDs of M (1-2400 AU) and G (28-1590 AU) primaries in the field and intermediate-mass primary binaries in Sco OB2 (29-1612 AU) for mass ratios, q = M 2 /M 1 , from 0.2 to 1, we find that the best chi-square fit follows a power law dN/dq∝q β , with β = -0.50 ± 0.29, consistent with previous results. Finally, we note that the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test gives a ∼1

An estimate of the system parameters in the dwarf nova IP Peg

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, Janet; Crawford, C.S.

1986-01-01

High-speed photometry of the eclipsing dwarf nova IP Peg is used to estimate the geometry of the binary system and the masses of its components. A white dwarf eclipse width between 0.0863 and 0.0918, is found and hence constraints on the mass ratio, q, of 0.35#lt#q#lt#0.49 and on the inclination, i, of 80 0 .9#lt#i#lt#90 0 . The white dwarf is surrounded by an extended boundary layer and has a mass of at least Msub(WD) approx.0.3 solar mass, probably much greater, depending on the thickness of the boundary layer and the orbital inclination. Its mass could be as high as 0.9 solar mass for an inclination of 80 0 .9. The mass of the secondary star is greater than 0.09 solar mass probably a lot higher. IP Peg could be earlier in the evolutionary sequence of dwarf novae than the ultra-short-period system (P#lt#2hr). (author)

Astrophysical Implications of a New Dynamical Mass for the Nearby White Dwarf 40 Eridani B

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Howard E.; Bergeron, P.; Bédard, A.

2017-10-01

The bright, nearby DA-type white dwarf (WD) 40 Eridani B is orbited by the M dwarf 40 Eri C, allowing determination of the WD’s mass. Until recently, however, the mass depended on orbital elements determined four decades ago, and that mass was so low that it created several astrophysical puzzles. Using new astrometric measurements, the binary-star group at the U.S. Naval Observatory has revised the dynamical mass upward, to 0.573 ± 0.018 M ⊙. In this paper, we use model-atmosphere analysis to update other parameters of the WD, including effective temperature, surface gravity, radius, and luminosity. We then compare these results with WD interior models. Within the observational uncertainties, theoretical cooling tracks for CO-core WDs of its measured mass are consistent with the position of 40 Eri B in the H-R diagram; equivalently, the theoretical mass-radius relation (MRR) is consistent with the star’s location in the mass-radius plane. This consistency is, however, achieved only if we assume a “thin” outer hydrogen layer, with q H = M H/M WD ≃ 10-10. We discuss other evidence that a significant fraction of DA WDs have such thin H layers, in spite of the expectation from canonical stellar-evolution theory of “thick” H layers with q H ≃ 10-4. The cooling age of 40 Eri B is ˜122 Myr, and its total age is ˜1.8 Gyr. We present the MRRs for 40 Eri B and three other nearby WDs in visual binaries with precise mass determinations, and show that the agreement of current theory with observations is excellent in all cases.

Neutron star formation in theoretical supernovae. Low mass stars and white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomoto, K.

1986-01-01

The presupernova evolution of stars that form semi-degenerate or strongly degenerate O + Ne + Mg cores is discussed. For the 10 to 13 Msub solar stars, behavior of off-center neon flashes is crucial. The 8 to 10 m/sub solar stars do not ignite neon and eventually collapse due to electron captures. Properties of supernova explosions and neutron stars expected from these low mass progenitors are compared with the Crab nebula. The conditions for which neutron stars form from accretion-induced collapse of white dwarfs in clsoe binary systems is also examined

BVRcIc OBSERVATIONS AND ANALYSES OF THE DWARF DETACHED BINARY V1043 CASSIOPEIA AND A COMMENT ON PRECONTACT W UMa'S

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samec, R. G.; Smith, P. M.; Chamberlain, H.; Faulkner, D. R.; Van Hamme, W.

2013-01-01

Complete Bessel BVR c I c light curves of V1043 Cassiopeia [2MASS J00371195+5301324, Mis V1292, USNO–A2.0 1425–00875743, α(2000) = 00 h 37 m 11. s 95, δ(2000) = +53°01'32.''5] are analyzed. The system is a member of the small group of pre-contact W UMa binaries (PCWBs). Its light curve has the appearance of an Algol (EA) light curve, however it is made up of dwarf solar type components in a detached mode with a period of only 0.6616 days. The analysis includes a period study, an improved ephemeris, a mass ratio search, and a simultaneous BVR c I c Wilson-Devinney solution. We document about 20 other PCWBs given in the literature. Several have RS CVn-like properties.

A SEARCH FOR HIGH PROPER MOTION T DWARFS WITH Pan-STARRS1 + 2MASS + WISE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Michael C.; Deacon, Niall R.; Magnier, Eugene A.; Aller, Kimberly M.; Bowler, Brendan P.; Burgett, W. S.; Chambers, K. C.; Hodapp, K. W.; Kaiser, N.; Kudritzki, R.-P.; Morgan, J. S.; Tonry, J. L.; Wainscoat, R. J.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Redstone, Joshua; Goldman, Bertrand; Price, P. A.

2011-01-01

We have searched ∼8200 deg 2 for high proper motion (∼0.''5-2.''7 year -1 ) T dwarfs by combining first-epoch data from the Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) 3π Survey, the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) All-Sky Point Source Catalog, and the WISE Preliminary Data Release. We identified two high proper motion objects with the very red (W1 - W2) colors characteristic of T dwarfs, one being the known T7.5 dwarf GJ 570D. Near-IR spectroscopy of the other object (PSO J043.5395+02.3995 ≡ WISEP J025409.45+022359.1) reveals a spectral type of T8, leading to a photometric distance of 7.2 ± 0.7 pc. The 2.''56 year -1 proper motion of PSO J043.5+02 is the second highest among field T dwarfs, corresponding to a tangential velocity of 87 ± 8 km s -1 . According to the Besancon galaxy model, this velocity indicates that its galactic membership is probably in the thin disk, with the thick disk an unlikely possibility. Such membership is in accord with the near-IR spectrum, which points to a surface gravity (age) and metallicity typical of the field population. We combine 2MASS, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, WISE, and PS1 astrometry to derive a preliminary parallax of 171 ± 45 mas (5.8 +2.0 -1.2 pc), the first such measurement using PS1 data. The proximity and brightness of PSO J043.5+02 will facilitate future characterization of its atmosphere, variability, multiplicity, distance, and kinematics. The modest number of candidates from our search suggests that the immediate (∼10 pc) solar neighborhood does not contain a large reservoir of undiscovered T dwarfs earlier than about T8.

Evolution of LMC/M33-mass dwarf galaxies in the EAGLE simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Shi; Cautun, Marius; Deason, Alis J.; Frenk, Carlos S.; Theuns, Tom

2018-06-01

We investigate the population of dwarf galaxies with stellar masses similar to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and M33 in the EAGLE galaxy formation simulation. In the field, galaxies reside in haloes with stellar-to-halo mass ratios of 1.03^{+0.50}_{-0.31}× 10^{-2} (68% confidence level); systems like the LMC, which have an SMC-mass satellite, reside in haloes about 1.3 times more massive, which suggests an LMC halo mass at infall, M_{200}=3.4^{+1.8}_{-1.2}× 10^{11}{ M_⊙ } (68% confidence level). The colour distribution of dwarfs is bimodal, with the red galaxies (g - r > 0.6) being mostly satellites. The fraction of red LMC-mass dwarfs is 15% for centrals, and for satellites this fraction increases rapidly with host mass: from 10% for satellites of Milky Way (MW)-mass haloes to nearly 90% for satellites of groups and clusters. The quenching timescale, defined as the time after infall when half of the satellites have acquired red colours, decreases with host mass from >5 Gyrs for MW-mass hosts to 2.5 Gyrs for cluster mass hosts. The satellites of MW-mass haloes have higher star formation rates and bluer colours than field galaxies. This is due to enhanced star formation triggered by gas compression shortly after accretion. Both the LMC and M33 have enhanced recent star formation that could be a manifestation of this process. After infall into their MW-mass hosts, the g - r colours of LMC-mass dwarfs become bluer for the first 2 Gyrs, after which they rapidly redden. LMC-mass dwarfs fell into their MW-mass hosts only relatively recently, with more than half having an infall time of less than 3.5 Gyrs.

He stars and He-accreting CO white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Limongi, M.; Tornambe, A.

1991-01-01

He star models in the mass range 0.4-1.0 solar mass have been evolved until the red giant phase or, depending on their mass, until crystallization on the white-dwarf cooling sequence. Some of the degenerate structures obtained in these computations have been successively accreted at various He accretion rates in order to better define the fate of the accreting dwarf versus its mass and accretion rate for a fixed degeneracy level of the accreting dwarf. He stars have been further induced to transfer mass to a degenerate companion through Roche lobe overflow, in conditions of large gravitational wave radiation by the system. CO dwarfs in binary systems with He stars are found to experience a thermal behavior whose effects are such to locate the structure on the verge of obtaining a strong SN-like explosive event. 22 refs

A Bright Short Period M-M Eclipsing Binary from the KELT Survey: Magnetic Activity and the Mass-Radius Relationship for M Dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Lubin, Jack B.; Rodriguez, Joseph E.; Zhou, George; Conroy, Kyle E.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Collins, Karen; Stevens, Daniel J.; Labadie-Bartz, Jonathan; Stockdale, Christopher; Myers, Gordon; Colón, Knicole D.; Bento, Joao; Kehusmaa, Petri; Petrucci, Romina; Jofré, Emiliano; Quinn, Samuel N.; Lund, Michael B.; Kuhn, Rudolf B.; Siverd, Robert J.; Beatty, Thomas G.; Harlingten, Caisey; Pepper, Joshua; Gaudi, B. Scott; James, David; Jensen, Eric L. N.; Reichart, Daniel; Kedziora-Chudczer, Lucyna; Bailey, Jeremy; Melville, Graeme

2017-08-01

We report the discovery of KELT J041621-620046, a moderately bright (J ˜ 10.2) M-dwarf eclipsing binary system at a distance of 39 ± 3 pc. KELT J041621-620046 was first identified as an eclipsing binary using observations from the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) survey. The system has a short orbital period of ˜1.11 days and consists of components with {M}1={0.447}+0.052-0.047 {M}⊙ and {M}2={0.399}+0.046-0.042 {M}⊙ in nearly circular orbits. The radii of the two stars are {R}1={0.540}+0.034-0.032 {R}⊙ and {\\text{}}{R}2=0.453+/- 0.017 {R}⊙ . Full system and orbital properties were determined (to ˜10% error) by conducting an EBOP (Eclipsing Binary Orbit Program) global modeling of the high precision photometric and spectroscopic observations obtained by the KELT Follow-up Network. Each star is larger by 17%-28% and cooler by 4%-10% than predicted by standard (non-magnetic) stellar models. Strong Hα emission indicates chromospheric activity in both stars. The observed radii and temperature discrepancies for both components are more consistent with those predicted by empirical relations that account for convective suppression due to magnetic activity.

The brown dwarf kinematics project

Science.gov (United States)

Faherty, Jackie K.

2010-10-01

Brown dwarfs are a recent addition to the plethora of objects studied in Astronomy. With theoretical masses between 13 and 75 MJupiter , they lack sustained stable Hydrogen burning so they never join the stellar main sequence. They have physical properties similar to both planets and low-mass stars so studies of their population inform on both. The distances and kinematics of brown dwarfs provide key statistical constraints on their ages, moving group membership, absolute brightnesses, evolutionary trends, and multiplicity. Yet, until my thesis, fundamental measurements of parallax and proper motion were made for only a relatively small fraction of the known population. To address this deficiency, I initiated the Brown Dwarf Kinematics (BDKP). Over the past four years I have re-imaged the majority of spectroscopically confirmed field brown dwarfs (or ultracool dwarfs---UCDs) and created the largest proper motion catalog for ultracool dwarfs to date. Using new astrometric information I examined population characteristics such as ages calculated from velocity dispersions and correlations between kinematics and colors. Using proper motions, I identified several new wide co-moving companions and investigated binding energy (and hence formation) limitations as well as the frequency of hierarchical companions. Concurrently over the past four years I have been conducting a parallax survey of 84 UCDs including those showing spectral signatures of youth, metal-poor brown dwarfs, and those within 20 pc of the Sun. Using absolute magnitude relations in J,H, and K, I identified overluminous binary candidates and investigated known flux-reversal binaries. Using current evolutionary models, I compared the MK vs J-K color magnitude diagram to model predictions and found that the low-surface gravity dwarfs are significantly red-ward and underluminous of predictions and a handful of late-type T dwarfs may require thicker clouds to account for their scatter.

Characterizing the Resolved M6 Dwarf Twin LP 318-218AB

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno Hilario, Elizabeth; Burgasser, Adam J.; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella; Tamiya, Tomoki

2017-01-01

The lowest-mass stars and brown dwarfs are among the most common objects in the Milky Way Galaxy, but theories of their formation and evolution remain poorly constrained. Binary systems are important for understanding the formation of these objects and for making direct orbit and mass measurements to validate evolutionary theories. We report the discovery of LP 318-218, a high proper motion late M dwarf, as a near equal-brightness binary system with a separation of 0.72 arcseconds. Resolved near-infrared spectroscopy confirms the components as nearly identical M6 twins. We using our resolved photometry and spectroscopy to estimate the distance, projected separation and tangential velocity of the system, and confirm common proper motion. We also perform atmosphere model fits to the resolved spectra to assess their physical properties. We place LP 318-218 in context with other widely-separated late M dwarf binaries.

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE NEARBY L/T BINARY BROWN DWARF WISE J104915.57–531906.1 AT 2 pc FROM THE SUN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kniazev, A. Y.; Vaisanen, P.; Potter, S. B.; Crawford, S.; Gulbis, A. A. S.; Mužić, K.; Mehner, A.; Boffin, H. M. J.; Melo, C.; Ivanov, V. D.; Girard, J.; Mawet, D.; Schmidtobreick, L.; Kurtev, R.; Borissova, J.; Huelamo, N.; Minniti, D.; Ishibashi, K.; Beletsky, Y.; Buckley, D. A. H.

2013-01-01

WISE J104915.57–531906.1 is a L/T brown dwarf binary located 2 pc from the Sun. The pair contains the closest known brown dwarfs and is the third closest known system, stellar or sub-stellar. We report comprehensive follow-up observations of this newly uncovered system. We have determined the spectral types of both components (L8 ± 1, for the primary, agreeing with the discovery paper; T1.5 ± 2 for the secondary, which was lacking spectroscopic type determination in the discovery paper) and, for the first time, their radial velocities (V rad ∼ 23.1, 19.5 km s –1 ) using optical spectra obtained at the Southern African Large Telescope and other facilities located at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). The relative radial velocity of the two components is smaller than the range of orbital velocities for theoretically predicted masses, implying that they form a gravitationally bound system. We report resolved near-infrared JHK S photometry from the Infrared Survey Facility telescope at the SAAO which yields colors consistent with the spectroscopically derived spectral types. The available kinematic and photometric information excludes the possibility that the object belongs to any of the known nearby young moving groups or associations. Simultaneous optical polarimetry observations taken at the SAAO 1.9 m give a non-detection with an upper limit of 0.07%. For the given spectral types and absolute magnitudes, 1 Gyr theoretical models predict masses of 0.04-0.05 M ☉ for the primary, and 0.03-0.05 M ☉ for the secondary.

On the consequences of low-mass white dwarf mergers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iben, I. Jr.

1990-01-01

The theory of binary star evolution suggests that about 10 percent of all main-sequence binary systems should evolve into a close pair of light white dwarfs which merge within a Hubble time. This paper explores the consequences of such mergers on the assumption that a merger can be approximated by a mass-transfer event which occurs on a time scale shorter than that given by the Eddington accretion limit. The evolution of He + He mergers and of CO + He and of hybrid + He mergers are discussed. The birthrate of helium degenerate pairs which merge in less than a Hubble time is estimated, and the space density of low-luminosity merger products currently present in the Galaxy is predicted. It is shown that the evolutionary tracks of models of simulated mergers pass through the region in the H-R diagram occupied by subdwarfs, but that the predicted space density of merger products exceeds by over a factor of three the space density of subdwarf estimated form the known sample of such stars. 61 refs

Hydrodynamic Studies of the Evolution of Recurrent, Symbiotic and Dwarf Novae: the White Dwarf Components are Growing in Mass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Starrfield S.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Symbiotic binaries are systems containing white dwarfs (WDs and red giants. Symbiotic novae are those systems in which thermonuclear eruptions occur on the WD components. These are to be distinguished from events driven by accretion disk instabilities analogous to dwarf novae eruptions in cataclysmic variable outbursts. Another class of symbiotic systems are those in which the WD is extremely luminous and it seems likely that quiescent nuclear burning is ongoing on the accreting WD. A fundamental question is the secular evolution of the WD. Do the repeated outbursts or quiescent burning in these accreting systems cause the WD to gain or lose mass? If it is gaining mass, can it eventually reach the Chandrasekhar Limit and become a supernova (a SN Ia if it can hide the hydrogen and helium in the system? In order to better understand these systems, we have begun a new study of the evolution of Thermonuclear Runaways (TNRs in the accreted envelopes of WDs using a variety of initial WD masses, luminosities and mass accretion rates. We use our 1-D hydro code, NOVA, which includes the new convective algorithm of Arnett, Meakin and Young, the Hix and Thielemann nuclear reaction solver, the Iliadis reaction rate library, the Timmes equation of state, and the OPAL opacities. We assume a solar composition (Lodders abundance distribution and do not allow any mixing of accreted material with core material. This assumption strongly influences our results. We report here (1 that the WD grows in mass for all simulations so that ‘steady burning’ does not occur, and (2 that only a small fraction of the accreted matter is ejected in some (but not all simulations. We also find that the accreting systems, before thermonuclear runaway, are too cool to be seen in X-ray searches for SN Ia progenitors.

Searching for Exoplanets around X-Ray Binaries with Accreting White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, and Black Holes

Science.gov (United States)

Imara, Nia; Di Stefano, Rosanne

2018-05-01

We recommend that the search for exoplanets around binary stars be extended to include X-ray binaries (XRBs) in which the accretor is a white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole. We present a novel idea for detecting planets bound to such mass transfer binaries, proposing that the X-ray light curves of these binaries be inspected for signatures of transiting planets. X-ray transits may be the only way to detect planets around some systems, while providing a complementary approach to optical and/or radio observations in others. Any planets associated with XRBs must be in stable orbits. We consider the range of allowable separations and find that orbital periods can be hours or longer, while transit durations extend upward from about a minute for Earth-radius planets, to hours for Jupiter-radius planets. The search for planets around XRBs could begin at once with existing X-ray observations of these systems. If and when a planet is detected around an X-ray binary, the size and mass of the planet may be readily measured, and it may also be possible to study the transmission and absorption of X-rays through its atmosphere. Finally, a noteworthy application of our proposal is that the same technique could be used to search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence. If an advanced exocivilization placed a Dyson sphere or similar structure in orbit around the accretor of an XRB in order to capture energy, such an artificial structure might cause detectable transits in the X-ray light curve.

HAT-TR-318-007: A Double-lined M Dwarf Binary with Total Secondary Eclipses Discovered by HATNet and Observed by K2

Science.gov (United States)

Hartman, J. D.; Quinn, S. N.; Bakos, G. Á.; Torres, G.; Kovács, G.; Latham, D. W.; Noyes, R. W.; Shporer, A.; Fulton, B. J.; Esquerdo, G. A.; Everett, M. E.; Penev, K.; Bhatti, W.; Csubry, Z.

2018-03-01

We report the discovery by the HATNet survey of HAT-TR-318-007, a P=3.34395390+/- 0.00000020 day period detached double-lined M dwarf binary with total secondary eclipses. We combine radial velocity (RV) measurements from TRES/FLWO 1.5 m and time-series photometry from HATNet, FLWO 1.2 m, BOS 0.8 m, and NASA K2 Campaign 5, to determine the masses and radii of the component stars: MA=0.448+/-0.011 M⊙N, MB=0.2721-0.0042+0.0041 M⊙N, RA=0.4548-0.0036+0.0035 R⊙N, and RB=0.2913-0.0024+0.0023 R⊙N. We obtained a FIRE/Magellan near-infrared spectrum of the primary star during a total secondary eclipse, and we use this to obtain disentangled spectra of both components. We determine spectral types of STA=M 3.71+/- 0.69 and STB=M 5.01+/- 0.73 and effective temperatures of Teff, A= 3190+/-110 K and Teff, B=3100+/- 110 K for the primary and secondary star, respectively. We also measure a metallicity of [Fe/H] = +0.298+/- 0.080 for the system. We find that the system has a small, but significant, nonzero eccentricity of 0.0136+/- 0.0026. The K2 light curve shows a coherent variation at a period of 3.41315-0.00032+0.00030 days, which is slightly longer than the orbital period, and which we demonstrate comes from the primary star. We interpret this as the rotation period of the primary. We perform a quantitative comparison between the Dartmouth stellar evolution models and the seven systems, including HAT-TR-318-007, that contain M dwarfs with 0.2 M⊙N< M< 0.5 M⊙N, have metallicity measurements, and have masses and radii determined to better than 5% precision. Discrepancies between the predicted and observed masses and radii are found for three of the systems.

A 3D Search for Companions to 12 Nearby M Dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

2015-02-19

mid M-dwarf binaries9 within the distance and declination range of this sample are listed in Table 2. Also listed are 2MASS coordinates, parallaxes...spectral types, absolute V magnitudes, V, R, I apparent magnitudes, near-infrared photometry from 2MASS (J, H, Ks apparent magnitudes), and the...from the 2MASS All Sky Catalog of point sources from Skrutskie et al. (2006). d vsini references: (1) Mohanty & Basri (2003), (2) Browning et al

PLANETS AROUND LOW-MASS STARS (PALMS). IV. THE OUTER ARCHITECTURE OF M DWARF PLANETARY SYSTEMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowler, Brendan P. [California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Liu, Michael C. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai' i, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Shkolnik, Evgenya L. [Lowell Observatory, 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Tamura, Motohide, E-mail: bpbowler@caltech.edu [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)

2015-01-01

We present results from a high-contrast adaptive optics imaging search for giant planets and brown dwarfs (≳1 M {sub Jup}) around 122 newly identified nearby (≲40 pc) young M dwarfs. Half of our targets are younger than 135 Myr and 90% are younger than the Hyades (620 Myr). After removing 44 close stellar binaries (implying a stellar companion fraction of >35.4% ± 4.3% within 100 AU), 27 of which are new or spatially resolved for the first time, our remaining sample of 78 single M dwarfs makes this the largest imaging search for planets around young low-mass stars (0.1-0.6 M {sub ☉}) to date. Our H- and K-band coronagraphic observations with Keck/NIRC2 and Subaru/HiCIAO achieve typical contrasts of 12-14 mag and 9-13 mag at 1'', respectively, which correspond to limiting planet masses of 0.5-10 M {sub Jup} at 5-33 AU for 85% of our sample. We discovered four young brown dwarf companions: 1RXS J235133.3+312720 B (32 ± 6 M {sub Jup}; L0{sub −1}{sup +2}; 120 ± 20 AU), GJ 3629 B (64{sub −23}{sup +30} M {sub Jup}; M7.5 ± 0.5; 6.5 ± 0.5 AU), 1RXS J034231.8+121622 B (35 ± 8 M {sub Jup}; L0 ± 1; 19.8 ± 0.9 AU), and 2MASS J15594729+4403595 B (43 ± 9 M {sub Jup}; M8.0 ± 0.5; 190 ± 20 AU). Over 150 candidate planets were identified; we obtained follow-up imaging for 56% of these but all are consistent with background stars. Our null detection of planets enables strong statistical constraints on the occurrence rate of long-period giant planets around single M dwarfs. We infer an upper limit (at the 95% confidence level) of 10.3% and 16.0% for 1-13 M {sub Jup} planets between 10-100 AU for hot-start and cold-start (Fortney) evolutionary models, respectively. Fewer than 6.0% (9.9%) of M dwarfs harbor massive gas giants in the 5-13 M {sub Jup} range like those orbiting HR 8799 and β Pictoris between 10-100 AU for a hot-start (cold-start) formation scenario. The frequency of brown dwarf (13-75 M {sub Jup}) companions

3D MODEL ATMOSPHERES FOR EXTREMELY LOW-MASS WHITE DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tremblay, P.-E. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21218 (United States); Gianninas, A.; Kilic, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, 440 W. Brooks St., Norman, OK, 73019 (United States); Ludwig, H.-G. [Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Landessternwarte, Königstuhl 12, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Steffen, M. [Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam, An der Sternwarte 16, D-14482 Potsdam (Germany); Freytag, B. [Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University, Regementsvägen 1, Box 516, SE-75120 Uppsala (Sweden); Hermes, J. J., E-mail: tremblay@stsci.edu [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

2015-08-20

We present an extended grid of mean three-dimensional (3D) spectra for low-mass, pure-hydrogen atmosphere DA white dwarfs (WDs). We use CO5BOLD radiation-hydrodynamics 3D simulations covering T{sub eff} = 6000–11,500 K and log g = 5–6.5 (g in cm s{sup −2}) to derive analytical functions to convert spectroscopically determined 1D temperatures and surface gravities to 3D atmospheric parameters. Along with the previously published 3D models, the 1D to 3D corrections are now available for essentially all known convective DA WDs (i.e., log g = 5–9). For low-mass WDs, the correction in temperature is relatively small (a few percent at the most), but the surface gravities measured from the 3D models are lower by as much as 0.35 dex. We revisit the spectroscopic analysis of the extremely low-mass (ELM) WDs, and demonstrate that the 3D models largely resolve the discrepancies seen in the radius and mass measurements for relatively cool ELM WDs in eclipsing double WD and WD + millisecond pulsar binary systems. We also use the 3D corrections to revise the boundaries of the ZZ Ceti instability strip, including the recently found ELM pulsators.

Analysis of 45-years of Eclipse Timings of the Hyades (K2 V+ DA) Eclipsing Binary V471 Tauri

Science.gov (United States)

Marchioni, Lucas; Guinan, Edward; Engle, Scott

2018-01-01

V471 Tau is an important detached 0.521-day eclipsing binary composed of a K2 V and a hot DA white dwarf star. This system resides in the Hyades star cluster located approximately 153 Ly from us. V471 Tau is considered to be the end-product of common-envelope binary star evolution and is currently a pre-CV system. V471 Tau serves as a valuable astrophysical laboratory for studying stellar evolution, white dwarfs, stellar magnetic dynamos, and possible detection of low mass companions using the Light Travel Time (LTT) Effects. Since its discovery as an eclipsing binary in 1970, photometry has been carried out and many eclipse timings have been determined. We have performed an analysis of the available photometric data available on V471 Tauri. The binary system has been the subject of analyses regarding the orbital period. From this analysis several have postulated the existence of a third body in the form of a brown dwarf that is causing periodic variations in the system’s apparent period. In this study we combine ground based data with photometry secured recently from the Kepler K2 mission. After detrending and phasing the available data, we are able to compare the changing period of the eclipsing binary system against predictions on the existence of this third body. The results of the analysis will be presented. This research is sponsored by grants from NASA and NSF for which we are very grateful.

An Intermediate-Mass Black Hole in the Dwarf Galaxy Pox 52

Science.gov (United States)

Barth, Aaron

Do dwarf elliptical and dwarf spiral galaxies contain central black holes with masses below 106 solar masses? Beyond the Local Group dynamical searches for black holes in this mass range are very difficult but the detection of accretion-powered nuclear activity could be used to infer the presence of a black hole. The nearby dwarf spiral galaxy NGC 4395 hosts a faint Seyfert 1 nucleus with a likely black hole mass in the range 104-105 solar masses and for more than a decade it has been the only known example of a Seyfert 1 nucleus in a dwarf galaxy. I will present new Keck spectra of the dwarf galaxy POX 52 which demonstrate that it has a Seyfert 1 spectrum nearly identical to that of NGC 4395. Its velocity dispersion is 37 km/s suggesting a possible black hole mass of order 105 solar masses. I will discuss the prospects for systematic searches for nuclear activity in dwarf galaxies and the implications for black hole demographics.

EVOLUTION OF INTERMEDIATE-MASS X-RAY BINARIES DRIVEN BY THE MAGNETIC BRAKING OF AP/BP STARS. I. ULTRACOMPACT X-RAY BINARIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Wen-Cong [School of Physics and Electrical Information, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu 476000 (China); Podsiadlowski, Philipp, E-mail: chenwc@pku.edu.cn [Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom)

2016-10-20

It is generally believed that ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) evolved from binaries consisting of a neutron star accreting from a low-mass white dwarf (WD) or helium star where mass transfer is driven by gravitational radiation. However, the standard WD evolutionary channel cannot produce the relatively long-period (40–60 minutes) UCXBs with a high time-averaged mass-transfer rate. In this work, we explore an alternative evolutionary route toward UCXBs, where the companions evolve from intermediate-mass Ap/Bp stars with an anomalously strong magnetic field (100–10,000 G). Including the magnetic braking caused by the coupling between the magnetic field and an irradiation-driven wind induced by the X-ray flux from the accreting component, we show that intermediate-mass X-ray binaries (IMXBs) can evolve into UCXBs. Using the MESA code, we have calculated evolutionary sequences for a large number of IMXBs. The simulated results indicate that, for a small wind-driving efficiency f = 10{sup −5}, the anomalous magnetic braking can drive IMXBs to an ultra-short period of 11 minutes. Comparing our simulated results with the observed parameters of 15 identified UCXBs, the anomalous magnetic braking evolutionary channel can account for the formation of seven and eight sources with f = 10{sup −3}, and 10{sup −5}, respectively. In particular, a relatively large value of f can fit three of the long-period, persistent sources with a high mass-transfer rate. Though the proportion of Ap/Bp stars in intermediate-mass stars is only 5%, the lifetime of the UCXB phase is ≳2 Gyr, producing a relatively high number of observable systems, making this an alternative evolutionary channel for the formation of UCXBs.

PROTOPLANETARY DISK MASSES FROM STARS TO BROWN DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohanty, Subhanjoy; Mortlock, Daniel; Greaves, Jane; Pascucci, Ilaria; Apai, Daniel; Scholz, Aleks; Thompson, Mark; Lodato, Giuseppe; Looper, Dagny

2013-01-01

We present SCUBA-2 850 μm observations of seven very low mass stars (VLMS) and brown dwarfs (BDs). Three are in Taurus and four in the TW Hydrae Association (TWA), and all are classical T Tauri (cTT) analogs. We detect two of the three Taurus disks (one only marginally), but none of the TWA ones. For standard grains in cTT disks, our 3σ limits correspond to a dust mass of 1.2 M ⊕ in Taurus and a mere 0.2 M ⊕ in the TWA (3-10× deeper than previous work). We combine our data with other submillimeter/millimeter (sub-mm/mm) surveys of Taurus, ρ Oph, and the TWA to investigate the trends in disk mass and grain growth during the cTT phase. Assuming a gas-to-dust mass ratio of 100:1 and fiducial surface density and temperature profiles guided by current data, we find the following. (1) The minimum disk outer radius required to explain the upper envelope of sub-mm/mm fluxes is ∼100 AU for intermediate-mass stars, solar types, and VLMS, and ∼20 AU for BDs. (2) While the upper envelope of apparent disk masses increases with M * from BDs to VLMS to solar-type stars, no such increase is observed from solar-type to intermediate-mass stars. We propose this is due to enhanced photoevaporation around intermediate stellar masses. (3) Many of the disks around Taurus and ρ Oph intermediate-mass and solar-type stars evince an opacity index of β ∼ 0-1, indicating significant grain growth. Of the only four VLMS/BDs in these regions with multi-wavelength measurements, three are consistent with considerable grain growth, though optically thick disks are not ruled out. (4) For the TWA VLMS (TWA 30A and B), combining our 850 μm fluxes with the known accretion rates and ages suggests substantial grain growth by 10 Myr, comparable to that in the previously studied TWA cTTs Hen 3-600A and TW Hya. The degree of grain growth in the TWA BDs (2M1207A and SSPM1102) remains largely unknown. (5) A Bayesian analysis shows that the apparent disk-to-stellar mass ratio has a roughly

Brown dwarfs forming in discs: Where to look for them?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stamatellos D.

2011-07-01

Full Text Available A large fraction of the observed brown dwarfs may form by gravitational fragmentation of unstable discs. This model reproduces the brown dwarf desert, and provides an explanation for the existence of planetary-mass objects and for the binary properties of low-mass objects. We have performed an ensemble of radiative hydrodynamic simulations and determined the statistical properties of the low-mass objects produced by gravitational fragmentation of discs. We suggest that there is a population of brown dwarfs loosely bound on wide orbits (100–5000 AU around Sun-like stars that surveys of brown dwarf companions should target. Our simulations also indicate that planetary-mass companions to Sun-like stars are unlikely to form by disc fragmentation.

Binary White Dwarfs in the Galactic Halo

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Oirschot, Pim; Nelemans, Gijs; Helmi, Amina; Starkenburg, Else; Pols, Onno; Brown, Anthony G. A.

We use the stellar population synthesis code SeBa (Portegies Zwart & Verbunt (1996), Toonen, Nelemans & Portegies Zwart (2012)) to study the halo white dwarf population. Here we assume a Kroupa initial mass function and compare 4 models, varying two parameters: the star formation (SF) history of the

Testing the initial-final mass relationship of white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catalan, S; Isern, J; Garcia-Berro, E; Ribas, I

2009-01-01

In this contribution we revisit the initial-final mass relationship of white dwarfs, which links the mass of a white dwarf with that of its progenitor in the main-sequence. Although this function is of paramount importance to several fields in modern astrophysics, it is still not well constrained either from the theoretical or the observational points of view. We present here a revision of the present semi-empirical initial-final mass relationship using all the available data and including our recent results obtained from studying white dwarfs in common proper motion pairs. We have also analyzed the results obtained so far to provide some clues on the dependence of this relationship on metallicity. Finally, we have also performed an indirect test of the initial-final mass relationship by studying its effect on the luminosity function and on the mass distribution of white dwarfs.

AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SHOULDER OF GIANTS: JOVIAN PLANETS AROUND LATE K DWARF STARS AND THE TREND WITH STELLAR MASS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaidos, Eric [Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawai' i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Fischer, Debra A. [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States); Mann, Andrew W.; Howard, Andrew W., E-mail: gaidos@hawaii.edu [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai' i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States)

2013-07-01

Analyses of exoplanet statistics suggest a trend of giant planet occurrence with host star mass, a clue to how planets like Jupiter form. One missing piece of the puzzle is the occurrence around late K dwarf stars (masses of 0.5-0.75 M{sub Sun} and effective temperatures of 3900-4800 K). We analyzed four years of Doppler radial velocity (RVs) data for 110 late K dwarfs, one of which hosts two previously reported giant planets. We estimate that 4.0% {+-} 2.3% of these stars have Saturn-mass or larger planets with orbital periods <245 days, depending on the planet mass distribution and RV variability of stars without giant planets. We also estimate that 0.7% {+-} 0.5% of similar stars observed by Kepler have giant planets. This Kepler rate is significantly (99% confidence) lower than that derived from our Doppler survey, but the difference vanishes if only the single Doppler system (HIP 57274) with completely resolved orbits is considered. The difference could also be explained by the exclusion of close binaries (without giant planets) from the Doppler but not Kepler surveys, the effect of long-period companions and stellar noise on the Doppler data, or an intrinsic difference between the two populations. Our estimates for late K dwarfs bridge those for solar-type stars and M dwarfs, and support a positive trend with stellar mass. Small sample size precludes statements about finer structure, e.g., a ''shoulder'' in the distribution of giant planets with stellar mass. Future surveys such as the Next Generation Transit Survey and the Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey will ameliorate this deficiency.

AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SHOULDER OF GIANTS: JOVIAN PLANETS AROUND LATE K DWARF STARS AND THE TREND WITH STELLAR MASS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaidos, Eric; Fischer, Debra A.; Mann, Andrew W.; Howard, Andrew W.

2013-01-01

Analyses of exoplanet statistics suggest a trend of giant planet occurrence with host star mass, a clue to how planets like Jupiter form. One missing piece of the puzzle is the occurrence around late K dwarf stars (masses of 0.5-0.75 M ☉ and effective temperatures of 3900-4800 K). We analyzed four years of Doppler radial velocity (RVs) data for 110 late K dwarfs, one of which hosts two previously reported giant planets. We estimate that 4.0% ± 2.3% of these stars have Saturn-mass or larger planets with orbital periods <245 days, depending on the planet mass distribution and RV variability of stars without giant planets. We also estimate that 0.7% ± 0.5% of similar stars observed by Kepler have giant planets. This Kepler rate is significantly (99% confidence) lower than that derived from our Doppler survey, but the difference vanishes if only the single Doppler system (HIP 57274) with completely resolved orbits is considered. The difference could also be explained by the exclusion of close binaries (without giant planets) from the Doppler but not Kepler surveys, the effect of long-period companions and stellar noise on the Doppler data, or an intrinsic difference between the two populations. Our estimates for late K dwarfs bridge those for solar-type stars and M dwarfs, and support a positive trend with stellar mass. Small sample size precludes statements about finer structure, e.g., a ''shoulder'' in the distribution of giant planets with stellar mass. Future surveys such as the Next Generation Transit Survey and the Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey will ameliorate this deficiency.

Magnetic Inflation and Stellar Mass. II. On the Radii of Single, Rapidly Rotating, Fully Convective M-Dwarf Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Kesseli, Aurora Y.; Muirhead, Philip S.; Mann, Andrew W.; Mace, Greg

2018-06-01

Main-sequence, fully convective M dwarfs in eclipsing binaries are observed to be larger than stellar evolutionary models predict by as much as 10%–15%. A proposed explanation for this discrepancy involves effects from strong magnetic fields, induced by rapid rotation via the dynamo process. Although, a handful of single, slowly rotating M dwarfs with radius measurements from interferometry also appear to be larger than models predict, suggesting that rotation or binarity specifically may not be the sole cause of the discrepancy. We test whether single, rapidly rotating, fully convective stars are also larger than expected by measuring their R\\sin i distribution. We combine photometric rotation periods from the literature with rotational broadening (v\\sin i) measurements reported in this work for a sample of 88 rapidly rotating M dwarf stars. Using a Bayesian framework, we find that stellar evolutionary models underestimate the radii by 10 % {--}15{ % }-2.5+3, but that at higher masses (0.18 theory is 13%–18%, and we argue that the discrepancy is unlikely to be due to effects from age. Furthermore, we find no statistically significant radius discrepancy between our sample and the handful of M dwarfs with interferometric radii. We conclude that neither rotation nor binarity are responsible for the inflated radii of fully convective M dwarfs, and that all fully convective M dwarfs are larger than models predict.

The binary fraction of stars in dwarf galaxies: the case of Leo II

OpenAIRE

Spencer, Meghin; Mateo, Mario; Walker, Matthew; Olszewski, Edward; McConnachie, Alan; Kirby, Evan; Koch, Andreas

2017-01-01

We combine precision radial velocity data from four different published works of the stars in the Leo II dwarf spheroidal galaxy. This yields a data set that spans 19 years, has 14 different epochs of observation, and contains 372 unique red giant branch stars, 196 of which have repeat observations. Using this multi-epoch data set, we constrain the binary fraction for Leo II. We generate a suite of Monte Carlo simulations that test different binary fractions using Bayesian analysis and determ...

THE NIRSPEC ULTRACOOL DWARF RADIAL VELOCITY SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blake, Cullen H.; Charbonneau, David; White, Russel J.

2010-01-01

We report the results of an infrared Doppler survey designed to detect brown dwarf and giant planetary companions to a magnitude-limited sample of ultracool dwarfs. Using the NIRSPEC spectrograph on the Keck II telescope, we obtained approximately 600 radial velocity (RV) measurements over a period of six years of a sample of 59 late-M and L dwarfs spanning spectral types M8/L0 to L6. A subsample of 46 of our targets has been observed on three or more epochs. We rely on telluric CH 4 absorption features in Earth's atmosphere as a simultaneous wavelength reference and exploit the rich set of CO absorption features found in the K-band spectra of cool stars and brown dwarfs to measure RVs and projected rotational velocities. For a bright, slowly rotating M dwarf standard we demonstrate an RV precision of 50 m s -1 and for slowly rotating L dwarfs we achieve a typical RV precision of approximately 200 m s -1 . This precision is sufficient for the detection of close-in giant planetary companions to mid-L dwarfs as well as more equal mass spectroscopic binary systems with small separations (a +0.7 -0.6 Gyr, similar to that of nearby sun-like stars. We simulate the efficiency with which we detect spectroscopic binaries and find that the rate of tight (a +8.6 -1.6 %, consistent with recent estimates in the literature of a tight binary fraction of 3%-4%.

White dwarfs: connection with masses of the parent stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amnuel', P.R.; Guseinov, O.Kh.; Novruzova, Kh.I.; Rustamov, Yu.S.

1988-01-01

A relationship between the mass of a white dwarf and the mass of the parent star on the main sequence is established. The white dwarf birth-rate matches the birth-rate (death-rate) of main sequence stars

THE STELLAR INITIAL MASS FUNCTION OF ULTRA-FAINT DWARF GALAXIES: EVIDENCE FOR IMF VARIATIONS WITH GALACTIC ENVIRONMENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geha, Marla [Astronomy Department, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States); Brown, Thomas M.; Tumlinson, Jason; Kalirai, Jason S.; Avila, Roberto J.; Ferguson, Henry C. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Simon, Joshua D. [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Kirby, Evan N. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Irvine, 4129 Frederick Reines Hall, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); VandenBerg, Don A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3055, Victoria, BC V8W 3P6 (Canada); Munoz, Ricardo R. [Departamento de Astronomia, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago (Chile); Guhathakurta, Puragra, E-mail: marla.geha@yale.edu, E-mail: tbrown@stsci.edu, E-mail: tumlinson@stsci.edu [UCO/Lick Observatory and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)

2013-07-01

We present constraints on the stellar initial mass function (IMF) in two ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxies, Hercules and Leo IV, based on deep Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging. The Hercules and Leo IV galaxies are extremely low luminosity (M{sub V} = -6.2, -5.5), metal-poor (([Fe/H]) = -2.4, -2.5) systems that have old stellar populations (>11 Gyr). Because they have long relaxation times, we can directly measure the low-mass stellar IMF by counting stars below the main-sequence turnoff without correcting for dynamical evolution. Over the stellar mass range probed by our data, 0.52-0.77 M{sub Sun }, the IMF is best fit by a power-law slope of {alpha}= 1.2{sub -0.5}{sup +0.4} for Hercules and {alpha} = 1.3 {+-} 0.8 for Leo IV. For Hercules, the IMF slope is more shallow than a Salpeter ({alpha} = 2.35) IMF at the 5.8{sigma} level, and a Kroupa ({alpha} = 2.3 above 0.5 M{sub Sun }) IMF slope at 5.4{sigma} level. We simultaneously fit for the binary fraction, f{sub binary}, finding f{sub binary}= 0.47{sup +0.16}{sub -0.14} for Hercules, and 0.47{sup +0.37}{sub -0.17} for Leo IV. The UFD binary fractions are consistent with that inferred for Milky Way stars in the same mass range, despite very different metallicities. In contrast, the IMF slopes in the UFDs are shallower than other galactic environments. In the mass range 0.5-0.8 M{sub Sun }, we see a trend across the handful of galaxies with directly measured IMFs such that the power-law slopes become shallower (more bottom-light) with decreasing galactic velocity dispersion and metallicity. This trend is qualitatively consistent with results in elliptical galaxies inferred via indirect methods and is direct evidence for IMF variations with galactic environment.

A BROWN DWARF CENSUS FROM THE SIMP SURVEY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robert, Jasmin; Gagné, Jonathan; Artigau, Étienne; Lafrenière, David; Nadeau, Daniel; Doyon, René; Malo, Lison; Albert, Loïc; Simard, Corinne [Département de physique and Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 (Canada); Gagliuffi, Daniella C. Bardalez; Burgasser, Adam J., E-mail: jasmin@astro.umontreal.ca [Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., Mail Code 0424, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)

2016-10-20

We have conducted a near-infrared (NIR) proper motion survey, the Sondage Infrarouge de Mouvement Propre, in order to discover field ultracool dwarfs (UCD) in the solar neighborhood. The survey was conducted by imaging ∼28% of the sky with the Caméra PAnoramique Proche-InfraRouge both in the southern hemisphere at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 1.5 m telescope, and in the northern hemisphere at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic 1.6 m telescope and comparing the source positions from these observations with the Two Micron All-Sky Survey Point Source Catalog (2MASS PSC). Additional color criteria were used to further discriminate unwanted astrophysical sources. We present the results of an NIR spectroscopic follow-up of 169 M, L, and T dwarfs. Among the sources discovered are 2 young field brown dwarfs, 6 unusually red M and L dwarfs, 25 unusually blue M and L dwarfs, 2 candidate unresolved L+T binaries, and 24 peculiar UCDs. Additionally, we add 9 L/T transition dwarfs (L6–T4.5) to the already known objects.

A BROWN DWARF CENSUS FROM THE SIMP SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robert, Jasmin; Gagné, Jonathan; Artigau, Étienne; Lafrenière, David; Nadeau, Daniel; Doyon, René; Malo, Lison; Albert, Loïc; Simard, Corinne; Gagliuffi, Daniella C. Bardalez; Burgasser, Adam J.

2016-01-01

We have conducted a near-infrared (NIR) proper motion survey, the Sondage Infrarouge de Mouvement Propre, in order to discover field ultracool dwarfs (UCD) in the solar neighborhood. The survey was conducted by imaging ∼28% of the sky with the Caméra PAnoramique Proche-InfraRouge both in the southern hemisphere at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 1.5 m telescope, and in the northern hemisphere at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic 1.6 m telescope and comparing the source positions from these observations with the Two Micron All-Sky Survey Point Source Catalog (2MASS PSC). Additional color criteria were used to further discriminate unwanted astrophysical sources. We present the results of an NIR spectroscopic follow-up of 169 M, L, and T dwarfs. Among the sources discovered are 2 young field brown dwarfs, 6 unusually red M and L dwarfs, 25 unusually blue M and L dwarfs, 2 candidate unresolved L+T binaries, and 24 peculiar UCDs. Additionally, we add 9 L/T transition dwarfs (L6–T4.5) to the already known objects.

SIMULTANEOUS MULTIWAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS OF MAGNETIC ACTIVITY IN ULTRACOOL DWARFS. IV. THE ACTIVE, YOUNG BINARY NLTT 33370 AB (= 2MASS J13142039+1320011)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, P. K. G.; Berger, E.; Irwin, J.; Charbonneau, D. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Berta-Thompson, Z. K., E-mail: pwilliams@cfa.harvard.edu [MIT Kavli Institute, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

2015-02-01

We present multi-epoch simultaneous radio, optical, Hα, UV, and X-ray observations of the active, young, low-mass binary NLTT 33370 AB (blended spectral type M7e). This system is remarkable for its extreme levels of magnetic activity: it is the most radio-luminous ultracool dwarf (UCD) known, and here we show that it is also one of the most X-ray luminous UCDs known. We detect the system in all bands and find a complex phenomenology of both flaring and periodic variability. Analysis of the optical light curve reveals the simultaneous presence of two periodicities, 3.7859 ± 0.0001 and 3.7130 ± 0.0002 hr. While these differ by only ∼2%, studies of differential rotation in the UCD regime suggest that it cannot be responsible for the two signals. The system's radio emission consists of at least three components: rapid 100% polarized flares, bright emission modulating periodically in phase with the optical emission, and an additional periodic component that appears only in the 2013 observational campaign. We interpret the last of these as a gyrosynchrotron feature associated with large-scale magnetic fields and a cool, equatorial plasma torus. However, the persistent rapid flares at all rotational phases imply that small-scale magnetic loops are also present and reconnect nearly continuously. We present a spectral energy distribution of the blended system spanning more than 9 orders of magnitude in wavelength. The significant magnetism present in NLTT 33370 AB will affect its fundamental parameters, with the components' radii and temperatures potentially altered by ∼+20% and ∼–10%, respectively. Finally, we suggest spatially resolved observations that could clarify many aspects of this system's nature.

COMMON PROPER-MOTION WIDE WHITE DWARF BINARIES SELECTED FROM THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrews, Jeff J.; Agüeros, Marcel A.; Belczynski, Krzysztof; Dhital, Saurav; Kleinman, S. J.; West, Andrew A.

2012-01-01

Wide binaries made up of two white dwarfs (WDs) receive far less attention than their tight counterparts. However, our tests using the binary population synthesis code StarTrack indicate that, for any set of reasonable initial conditions, there exists a significant observable population of double white dwarfs (WDWDs) with orbital separations of 10 2 -10 5 AU. We adapt the technique of Dhital et al. to search for candidate common proper-motion WD companions separated by 12,000 spectroscopically confirmed hydrogen-atmosphere WDs recently identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Using two techniques to separate random alignments from high-confidence pairs, we find nine new high-probability wide WDWDs and confirm three previously identified candidate wide WDWDs. This brings the number of known wide WDWDs to 45; our new pairs are a significant addition to the sample, especially at small proper motions ( –1 ) and large angular separations (>10''). Spectroscopic follow-up and an extension of this method to a larger, photometrically selected set of SDSS WDs may eventually produce a large enough dataset for WDWDs to realize their full potential as testbeds for theories of stellar evolution.

THE ELM SURVEY. I. A COMPLETE SAMPLE OF EXTREMELY LOW-MASS WHITE DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Warren R.; Kilic, Mukremin; Kenyon, Scott J.; Prieto, Carlos Allende

2010-01-01

We analyze radial velocity observations of the 12 extremely low-mass (ELM), with ≤0.25 M sun , white dwarfs (WDs) in the MMT Hypervelocity Star Survey. Eleven of the twelve WDs are binaries with orbital periods shorter than 14 hr; the one non-variable WD is possibly a pole-on system among our non-kinematically selected targets. Our sample is unique: it is complete in a well-defined range of apparent magnitude and color. The orbital mass functions imply that the unseen companions are most likely other WDs, although neutron star companions cannot be excluded. Six of the eleven systems with orbital solutions will merge within a Hubble time due to the loss of angular momentum through gravitational wave radiation. The quickest merger is J0923+3028, a g = 15.7 ELM WD binary with a 1.08 hr orbital period and a ≤130 Myr merger time. The chance of a supernova Ia event among our ELM WDs is only 1%-7%, however. Three binary systems (J0755+4906, J1233+1602, and J2119-0018) have extreme mass ratios and will most likely form stable mass-transfer AM CVn systems. Two of these objects, SDSS J1233+1602 and J2119-0018, are the lowest surface gravity WDs ever found; both show Ca II absorption likely from accretion of circumbinary material. We predict that at least one of our WDs is an eclipsing detached double WD system, important for constraining helium core WD models.

Formation and Evolution of X-ray Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Y.

2017-07-01

X-ray binaries are a class of binary systems, in which the accretor is a compact star (i.e., black hole, neutron star, or white dwarf). They are one of the most important objects in the universe, which can be used to study not only binary evolution but also accretion disks and compact stars. Statistical investigations of these binaries help to understand the formation and evolution of galaxies, and sometimes provide useful constraints on the cosmological models. The goal of this thesis is to investigate the formation and evolution processes of X-ray binaries including Be/X-ray binaries, low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs), and cataclysmic variables. In Chapter 1 we give a brief review on the basic knowledge of the binary evolution. In Chapter 2 we discuss the formation of Be stars through binary interaction. In this chapter we investigate the formation of Be stars resulting from mass transfer in binaries in the Galaxy. Using binary evolution and population synthesis calculations, we find that in Be/neutron star binaries the Be stars have a lower limit of mass ˜ 8 M⊙ if they are formed by a stable (i.e., without the occurrence of common envelope evolution) and nonconservative mass transfer. We demonstrate that the isolated Be stars may originate from both mergers of two main-sequence stars and disrupted Be binaries during the supernova explosions of the primary stars, but mergers seem to play a much more important role. Finally the fraction of Be stars produced by binary interactions in all B type stars can be as high as ˜ 13%-30% , implying that most of Be stars may result from binary interaction. In Chapter 3 we show the evolution of intermediate- and low-mass X-ray binaries (I/LMXBs) and the formation of millisecond pulsars. Comparing the calculated results with the observations of binary radio pulsars, we report the following results: (1) The allowed parameter space for forming binary pulsars in the initial orbital period

Astrophysical Implications of a New Dynamical Mass for the Nearby White Dwarf 40 Eridani B

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bond, Howard E. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Bergeron, P.; Bédard, A., E-mail: heb11@psu.edu [Département de Physique, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 (Canada)

2017-10-10

The bright, nearby DA-type white dwarf (WD) 40 Eridani B is orbited by the M dwarf 40 Eri C, allowing determination of the WD’s mass. Until recently, however, the mass depended on orbital elements determined four decades ago, and that mass was so low that it created several astrophysical puzzles. Using new astrometric measurements, the binary-star group at the U.S. Naval Observatory has revised the dynamical mass upward, to 0.573 ± 0.018 M {sub ☉}. In this paper, we use model-atmosphere analysis to update other parameters of the WD, including effective temperature, surface gravity, radius, and luminosity. We then compare these results with WD interior models. Within the observational uncertainties, theoretical cooling tracks for CO-core WDs of its measured mass are consistent with the position of 40 Eri B in the H-R diagram; equivalently, the theoretical mass–radius relation (MRR) is consistent with the star’s location in the mass–radius plane. This consistency is, however, achieved only if we assume a “thin” outer hydrogen layer, with q {sub H} = M {sub H}/ M {sub WD} ≃ 10{sup −10}. We discuss other evidence that a significant fraction of DA WDs have such thin H layers, in spite of the expectation from canonical stellar-evolution theory of “thick” H layers with q {sub H} ≃ 10{sup −4}. The cooling age of 40 Eri B is ∼122 Myr, and its total age is ∼1.8 Gyr. We present the MRRs for 40 Eri B and three other nearby WDs in visual binaries with precise mass determinations, and show that the agreement of current theory with observations is excellent in all cases.

Survival of a brown dwarf after engulfment by a red giant star.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxted, P F L; Napiwotzki, R; Dobbie, P D; Burleigh, M R

2006-08-03

Many sub-stellar companions (usually planets but also some brown dwarfs) orbit solar-type stars. These stars can engulf their sub-stellar companions when they become red giants. This interaction may explain several outstanding problems in astrophysics but it is unclear under what conditions a low mass companion will evaporate, survive the interaction unchanged or gain mass. Observational tests of models for this interaction have been hampered by a lack of positively identified remnants-that is, white dwarf stars with close, sub-stellar companions. The companion to the pre-white dwarf AA Doradus may be a brown dwarf, but the uncertain history of this star and the extreme luminosity difference between the components make it difficult to interpret the observations or to put strong constraints on the models. The magnetic white dwarf SDSS J121209.31 + 013627.7 may have a close brown dwarf companion but little is known about this binary at present. Here we report the discovery of a brown dwarf in a short period orbit around a white dwarf. The properties of both stars in this binary can be directly observed and show that the brown dwarf was engulfed by a red giant but that this had little effect on it.

K2-137 b: an Earth-sized planet in a 4.3-h orbit around an M-dwarf

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, A. M. S.; Cabrera, J.; Csizmadia, Sz; Dai, F.; Gandolfi, D.; Hirano, T.; Winn, J. N.; Albrecht, S.; Alonso, R.; Antoniciello, G.; Barragán, O.; Deeg, H.; Eigmüller, Ph; Endl, M.; Erikson, A.; Fridlund, M.; Fukui, A.; Grziwa, S.; Guenther, E. W.; Hatzes, A. P.; Hidalgo, D.; Howard, A. W.; Isaacson, H.; Korth, J.; Kuzuhara, M.; Livingston, J.; Narita, N.; Nespral, D.; Nowak, G.; Palle, E.; Pätzold, M.; Persson, C. M.; Petigura, E.; Prieto-Arranz, J.; Rauer, H.; Ribas, I.; Van Eylen, V.

2018-03-01

We report the discovery in K2's Campaign 10 of a transiting terrestrial planet in an ultra-short-period orbit around an M3-dwarf. K2-137 b completes an orbit in only 4.3 h, the second shortest orbital period of any known planet, just 4 min longer than that of KOI 1843.03, which also orbits an M-dwarf. Using a combination of archival images, adaptive optics imaging, radial velocity measurements, and light-curve modelling, we show that no plausible eclipsing binary scenario can explain the K2 light curve, and thus confirm the planetary nature of the system. The planet, whose radius we determine to be 0.89 ± 0.09 R⊕, and which must have an iron mass fraction greater than 0.45, orbits a star of mass 0.463 ± 0.052 M⊙ and radius 0.442 ± 0.044 R⊙.

Detection of Double White Dwarf Binaries with Gaia, LSST and eLISA

Science.gov (United States)

Korol, V.; Rossi, E. M.; Groot, P. J.

2017-03-01

According to simulations around 108 double degenerate white dwarf binaries are expected to be present in the Milky Way. Due to their intrinsic faintness, the detection of these systems is a challenge, and the total number of detected sources so far amounts only to a few tens. This will change in the next two decades with the advent of Gaia, the LSST and eLISA. We present an estimation of how many compact DWDs with orbital periods less than a few hours we will be able to detect 1) through electromagnetic radiation with Gaia and LSST and 2) through gravitational wave radiation with eLISA. We find that the sample of simultaneous electromagnetic and gravitational waves detections is expected to be substantial, and will provide us a powerful tool for probing the white dwarf astrophysics and the structure of the Milky Way, letting us into the era of multi-messenger astronomy for these sources.

THE BROWN DWARF KINEMATICS PROJECT (BDKP). III. PARALLAXES FOR 70 ULTRACOOL DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Shara, Michael M.; Cruz, Kelle L.; Burgasser, Adam J.; Walter, Frederick M.; Van der Bliek, Nicole; West, Andrew A.; Vrba, Frederick J.; Anglada-Escudé, Guillem

2012-01-01

We report parallax measurements for 70 ultracool dwarfs (UCDs) including 11 late-M, 32 L, and 27 T dwarfs. In this sample, 14 M and L dwarfs exhibit low surface gravity features, 6 are close binary systems, and 2 are metal-poor subdwarfs. We combined our new measurements with 114 previously published UCD parallaxes and optical-mid-IR photometry to examine trends in spectral-type/absolute magnitude, and color-color diagrams. We report new polynomial relations between spectral type and M JHK . Including resolved L/T transition binaries in the relations, we find no reason to differentiate between a 'bright' (unresolved binary) and a 'faint' (single source) sample across the L/T boundary. Isolating early T dwarfs, we find that the brightening of T0-T4 sources is prominent in M J where there is a [1.2-1.4] mag difference. A similar yet dampened brightening of [0.3-0.5] mag happens at M H and a plateau or dimming of [–0.2 to –0.3] mag is seen in M K . Comparison with evolutionary models that vary gravity, metallicity, and cloud thickness verifies that for L into T dwarfs, decreasing cloud thickness reproduces brown dwarf near-IR color-magnitude diagrams. However we find that a near constant temperature of 1200 ±100 K along a narrow spectral subtype of T0-T4 is required to account for the brightening and color-magnitude diagram of the L-dwarf/T-dwarf transition. There is a significant population of both L and T dwarfs which are red or potentially 'ultra-cloudy' compared to the models, many of which are known to be young indicating a correlation between enhanced photospheric dust and youth. For the low surface gravity or young companion L dwarfs we find that 8 out of 10 are at least [0.2-1.0] mag underluminous in M JH and/or M K compared to equivalent spectral type objects. We speculate that this is a consequence of increased dust opacity and conclude that low surface gravity L dwarfs require a completely new spectral-type/absolute magnitude polynomial for analysis.

THE BROWN DWARF KINEMATICS PROJECT (BDKP). III. PARALLAXES FOR 70 ULTRACOOL DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Shara, Michael M.; Cruz, Kelle L. [Department of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10034 (United States); Burgasser, Adam J. [Center of Astrophysics and Space Sciences, Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093 (United States); Walter, Frederick M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3800 (United States); Van der Bliek, Nicole [CTIO/National Optical Astronomy Observatory (Chile); West, Andrew A. [Department of Astronomy, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Ave Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Vrba, Frederick J. [US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, P.O. Box 1149, Flagstaff, AZ 86002 (United States); Anglada-Escude, Guillem, E-mail: jfaherty@amnh.org [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015 (United States)

2012-06-10

We report parallax measurements for 70 ultracool dwarfs (UCDs) including 11 late-M, 32 L, and 27 T dwarfs. In this sample, 14 M and L dwarfs exhibit low surface gravity features, 6 are close binary systems, and 2 are metal-poor subdwarfs. We combined our new measurements with 114 previously published UCD parallaxes and optical-mid-IR photometry to examine trends in spectral-type/absolute magnitude, and color-color diagrams. We report new polynomial relations between spectral type and M{sub JHK}. Including resolved L/T transition binaries in the relations, we find no reason to differentiate between a 'bright' (unresolved binary) and a 'faint' (single source) sample across the L/T boundary. Isolating early T dwarfs, we find that the brightening of T0-T4 sources is prominent in M{sub J} where there is a [1.2-1.4] mag difference. A similar yet dampened brightening of [0.3-0.5] mag happens at M{sub H} and a plateau or dimming of [-0.2 to -0.3] mag is seen in M{sub K} . Comparison with evolutionary models that vary gravity, metallicity, and cloud thickness verifies that for L into T dwarfs, decreasing cloud thickness reproduces brown dwarf near-IR color-magnitude diagrams. However we find that a near constant temperature of 1200 {+-}100 K along a narrow spectral subtype of T0-T4 is required to account for the brightening and color-magnitude diagram of the L-dwarf/T-dwarf transition. There is a significant population of both L and T dwarfs which are red or potentially 'ultra-cloudy' compared to the models, many of which are known to be young indicating a correlation between enhanced photospheric dust and youth. For the low surface gravity or young companion L dwarfs we find that 8 out of 10 are at least [0.2-1.0] mag underluminous in M{sub JH} and/or M{sub K} compared to equivalent spectral type objects. We speculate that this is a consequence of increased dust opacity and conclude that low surface gravity L dwarfs require a completely new

SURFACE BRIGHTNESS PROFILES OF DWARF GALAXIES. II. COLOR TRENDS AND MASS PROFILES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herrmann, Kimberly A. [Penn State Mont Alto, 1 Campus Drive, Mont Alto, PA 17237 (United States); Hunter, Deidre A. [Lowell Observatory, 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Elmegreen, Bruce G., E-mail: kah259@psu.edu, E-mail: dah@lowell.edu, E-mail: bge@us.ibm.com [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States)

2016-06-01

In this second paper of a series, we explore the B  −  V , U  −  B , and FUV−NUV radial color trends from a multi-wavelength sample of 141 dwarf disk galaxies. Like spirals, dwarf galaxies have three types of radial surface brightness profiles: (I) single exponential throughout the observed extent (the minority), (II) down-bending (the majority), and (III) up-bending. We find that the colors of (1) Type I dwarfs generally become redder with increasing radius, unlike spirals which have a blueing trend that flattens beyond ∼1.5 disk scale lengths, (2) Type II dwarfs come in six different “flavors,” one of which mimics the “U” shape of spirals, and (3) Type III dwarfs have a stretched “S” shape where the central colors are flattish, become steeply redder toward the surface brightness break, then remain roughly constant beyond, which is similar to spiral Type III color profiles, but without the central outward bluing. Faint (−9 >  M{sub B}  > −14) Type II dwarfs tend to have continuously red or “U” shaped colors and steeper color slopes than bright (−14 >  M{sub B}  > −19) Type II dwarfs, which additionally have colors that become bluer or remain constant with increasing radius. Sm dwarfs and BCDs tend to have at least some blue and red radial color trend, respectively. Additionally, we determine stellar surface mass density (Σ) profiles and use them to show that the break in Σ generally remains in Type II dwarfs (unlike Type II spirals) but generally disappears in Type III dwarfs (unlike Type III spirals). Moreover, the break in Σ is strong, intermediate, and weak in faint dwarfs, bright dwarfs, and spirals, respectively, indicating that Σ may straighten with increasing galaxy mass. Finally, the average stellar surface mass density at the surface brightness break is roughly 1−2  M {sub ⊙} pc{sup −2} for Type II dwarfs but higher at 5.9  M {sub ⊙} pc{sup −2} or 27  M {sub ⊙} pc{sup −2} for

The not-so-extreme white dwarf of the CV GD 552

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unda-Sanzana, E; Hinojosa-Goni; Marsh, T R; Gaensicke, B T; Maxted, P F L; Morales-Rueda, L; Dhillon, V S; Thoroughgood, T D; Watson, C A; Tremou, E

2009-01-01

GD 552 is a cataclysmic binary which was previously believed to be composed of an M-star and a white dwarf, the latter having an extreme mass of 1.4 solar masses. In a recent paper we showed that this is not compatible with new observational evidence and presented an alternative model in which the white dwarf has a typical mass and the companion is a brown dwarf, making the system a likely member of the elusive group of CVs which have already evolved through minimum orbital period. Here we present additional spectroscopical evidence supporting this conclusion by means of skew mapping.

White Dwarf Rotation as a Function of Mass and a Dichotomy of Mode Line Widths: Kepler  Observations of 27 Pulsating DA White Dwarfs through K2 Campaign 8

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hermes, J. J.; Fanale, S. M.; Dennihy, E.; Fuchs, J. T.; Dunlap, B. H.; Clemens, J. C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 (United States); Gänsicke, B. T.; Greiss, S.; Tremblay, P.-E.; Fusillo, N. P. Gentile; Raddi, R.; Chote, P.; Marsh, T. R. [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Kawaler, Steven D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Bell, Keaton J.; Montgomery, M. H.; Winget, D. E. [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Redfield, S., E-mail: jjhermes@unc.edu [Wesleyan University Astronomy Department, Van Vleck Observatory, 96 Foss Hill Drive, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States)

2017-10-01

We present photometry and spectroscopy for 27 pulsating hydrogen-atmosphere white dwarfs (DAVs; a.k.a. ZZ Ceti stars) observed by the Kepler space telescope up to K2 Campaign 8, an extensive compilation of observations with unprecedented duration (>75 days) and duty cycle (>90%). The space-based photometry reveals pulsation properties previously inaccessible to ground-based observations. We observe a sharp dichotomy in oscillation mode line widths at roughly 800 s, such that white dwarf pulsations with periods exceeding 800 s have substantially broader mode line widths, more reminiscent of a damped harmonic oscillator than a heat-driven pulsator. Extended Kepler coverage also permits extensive mode identification: we identify the spherical degree of 87 out of 201 unique radial orders, providing direct constraints of the rotation period for 20 of these 27 DAVs, more than doubling the number of white dwarfs with rotation periods determined via asteroseismology. We also obtain spectroscopy from 4 m-class telescopes for all DAVs with Kepler photometry. Using these homogeneously analyzed spectra, we estimate the overall mass of all 27 DAVs, which allows us to measure white dwarf rotation as a function of mass, constraining the endpoints of angular momentum in low- and intermediate-mass stars. We find that 0.51–0.73 M {sub ⊙} white dwarfs, which evolved from 1.7–3.0 M {sub ⊙} ZAMS progenitors, have a mean rotation period of 35 hr with a standard deviation of 28 hr, with notable exceptions for higher-mass white dwarfs. Finally, we announce an online repository for our Kepler data and follow-up spectroscopy, which we collect at http://k2wd.org.

Characterizing Accreting Double White Dwarf Binaries with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna and Gaia

Science.gov (United States)

Breivik, Katelyn; Kremer, Kyle; Bueno, Michael; Larson, Shane L.; Coughlin, Scott; Kalogera, Vassiliki

2018-02-01

We demonstrate a method to fully characterize mass-transferring double white dwarf (DWD) systems with a helium-rich (He) white dwarf (WD) donor based on the mass–radius (M–R) relationship for He WDs. Using a simulated Galactic population of DWDs, we show that donor and accretor masses can be inferred for up to ∼60 systems observed by both Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and Gaia. Half of these systems will have mass constraints {{Δ }} {M}{{D}} ≲ 0.2 {M}ȯ and {{Δ }} {M}{{A}} ≲ 2.3 {M}ȯ . We also show how the orbital frequency evolution due to astrophysical processes and gravitational radiation can be decoupled from the total orbital frequency evolution for up to ∼50 of these systems.

Stringent limits on the ionized mass loss from A and F dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, A.; Veale, A.; Judge, P.; Bookbinder, J.A.; Hubeny, I.

1990-01-01

Following the suggestion of Willson et al. (1987) that A- and F-type main-sequence stars might undergo significant mass loss due to pulsationally driven winds, upper limits to the ionized mass loss from A and F dwarfs have been obtained using VLA observations. These stringent upper limits show that the level of ionized mass loss would have at most only a small effect on stellar evolution. Radiative-equilibrium atmospheric and wind models for early A dwarfs indicate that it is highly likely that a wind flowing from such stars would be significantly ionized. In addition, late A and early F dwarfs exhibit chromospheric emission indicative of significant nonradiative heating. The present mass-loss limits are thus representative of the total mass-loss rates for these stars. It is concluded that A and F dwarfs are not losing sufficient mass to cause A dwarfs to evolve into G dwarfs. 24 refs

Testing substellar models with dynamical mass measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu M.C.

2011-07-01

Full Text Available We have been using Keck laser guide star adaptive optics to monitor the orbits of ultracool binaries, providing dynamical masses at lower luminosities and temperatures than previously available and enabling strong tests of theoretical models. We have identified three specific problems with theory: (1 We find that model color–magnitude diagrams cannot be reliably used to infer masses as they do not accurately reproduce the colors of ultracool dwarfs of known mass. (2 Effective temperatures inferred from evolutionary model radii are typically inconsistent with temperatures derived from fitting atmospheric models to observed spectra by 100–300 K. (3 For the only known pair of field brown dwarfs with a precise mass (3% and age determination (≈25%, the measured luminosities are ~2–3× higher than predicted by model cooling rates (i.e., masses inferred from Lbol and age are 20–30% larger than measured. To make progress in understanding the observed discrepancies, more mass measurements spanning a wide range of luminosity, temperature, and age are needed, along with more accurate age determinations (e.g., via asteroseismology for primary stars with brown dwarf binary companions. Also, resolved optical and infrared spectroscopy are needed to measure lithium depletion and to characterize the atmospheres of binary components in order to better assess model deficiencies.

Mid-infrared followup of cold brown dwarfs: diversity in age, mass and metallicity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saumon, Didier [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Leggett, Sandy K [GEMINI OBSERVATORY; Burningham, Ben [HERTFORDSHITE UNIV; Marley, Mark S [NASA AMES; Waren, S J [IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON; Jones, H R A [HERTFORDSHIRE U; Pinfield, D J [HERTFORDSHIRE U; Smart, R L [ASTRONOMICAL OBS

2009-01-01

We present new Spitzer IRAC [3.6], [4.5], [5.8] and [8.0] photometry of nine very late-type T dwarfs. Combining this with previously published photometry, we investigate trends with type and color that are useful for both the planning and interpretation of infrared surveys designed to discover the coldest T or Y dwarfs. Brown dwarfs with effective temperature (T{sub eff}) below 700 K emit more than half their flux at wavelengths longer than 3 {micro}m, and the ratio of the mid-infrared flux to the near-infrared flux becomes very sensitive to T{sub eff} at these low temperatures. We confirm that the color H (1.6 {micro}m) - [4.5] is a good indicator of T{sub eff} with a relatively weak dependence on metallicity and gravity. Conversely, the colors H - K (2.2 {micro}m) and [4.5] - [5.8] are sensitive to metallicity and gravity. Thus near- and mid-infrared photometry provide useful indicators of the fundamental properties of brown dwarfs, and if temperature and gravity are known, then mass and age can be reliably determined from evolutionary models. There are twelve dwarfs currently known with H - [4.5] > 3.0, and {approx} 500 < T{sub eff} K {approx}< 800, which we examine in detail. The ages of the dwarfs in the sample range from very young (0.1 - 1.0 Gyr) to relatively old (3 - 12 Gyr). The mass range is possibly as low as 5 Jupiter masses to up to 70 Jupiter masses, i.e. near the hydrogen burning limit. The metallicities also span a large range, from [m/H]= -0.3 to [m/H]= +0.2. The small number of T8 - T9 dwarfs found in the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey to date appear to be predominantly young low-mass dwarfs. Accurate mid-infrared photometry of cold brown dwarfs is essentially impossible from the ground, and extensions to the mid-infrared space missions warm-Spitzer and WISE are desirable in order to obtain the vital mid-infrared data for cold brown dwarfs, and to discover more of these rare objects.

Rotation of the accreting white dwarfs and diversity of type Ia supernovae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uenishi, Tatsuhiro; Nomoto, Kenichi; Hachisu, Izumi

2003-01-01

We consider rotation of progenitor white dwarfs for a possible source of the diversity of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Hydrostatic structure of rotating white dwarfs with different masses are calculated. Evolutionary sequences of white dwarfs are explored and the effect of 'supercritical' rotation in binary system is examined. Possible effects of rotation to cause diversity of SNe Ia are discussed

DYNAMICAL MASS OF THE SUBSTELLAR BENCHMARK BINARY HD 130948BC , ,

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dupuy, Trent J.; Liu, Michael C.; Ireland, Michael J.

2009-01-01

We present Keck adaptive optics imaging of the L4+L4 binary HD 130948BC along with archival Hubble Space Telescope and Gemini North observations, which together span ∼ 70% of the binary's orbital period. From the relative orbit, we determine a total dynamical mass of 0.109 ± 0.003 M sun (114 ± 3 M Jup ). The flux ratio of HD 130948BC is near unity, so both components are unambiguously substellar for any plausible mass ratio. An independent constraint on the age of the system is available from the primary HD 130948A (G2V, [M/H] = 0.0). The ensemble of available indicators suggests an age comparable to Hyades, with the most precise age being 0.79 +0.22 -0.15 Gyr based on gyrochronology. Therefore, HD 130948BC is now a unique benchmark among field L and T dwarfs, with a well-determined mass, luminosity, and age. We find that substellar theoretical models disagree with our observations. (1) Both components of HD 130948BC appear to be overluminous by a factor of ∼ 2-3 times compared to evolutionary models. The age of the system would have to be notably younger than the gyro age to ameliorate the luminosity disagreement. (2) Effective temperatures derived from evolutionary models for HD 130948B and C are inconsistent with temperatures determined from spectral synthesis for objects of similar spectral type. Overall, regardless of the adopted age, evolutionary and atmospheric models give inconsistent results, which indicate systematic errors in at least one class of models, possibly both. The masses of HD 130948BC happen to be very near the theoretical mass limit for lithium burning, and thus measuring the differential lithium depletion between B and C will provide a uniquely discriminating test of theoretical models. The potential underestimate of luminosities by evolutionary models would have wide-ranging implications; therefore, a more refined estimate age for HD 130948A is critically needed.

A CAUTIONARY TALE: MARVELS BROWN DWARF CANDIDATE REVEALS ITSELF TO BE A VERY LONG PERIOD, HIGHLY ECCENTRIC SPECTROSCOPIC STELLAR BINARY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mack, Claude E. III; Stassun, Keivan G.; De Lee, Nathan [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States); Ge, Jian; Fleming, Scott W. [Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, 211 Bryant Space Science Center, Gainesville, FL, 32611-2055 (United States); Deshpande, Rohit; Mahadevan, Suvrath [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Wisniewski, John P. [Homer L Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, 440 W Brooks St, Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Gaudi, B. Scott; Eastman, Jason; Beatty, Thomas G. [Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Ghezzi, Luan [Observatorio Nacional, Rua Gal. Jose Cristino 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20921-400 (Brazil); Gonzalez Hernandez, Jonay I.; Femenia, Bruno; Mata Sanchez, Daniel [Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC), E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Ferreira, Leticia; Porto de Mello, Gustavo [Laboratorio Interinstitucional de e-Astronomia-LIneA, Rua Gal. Jose Cristino 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20921-400 (Brazil); Crepp, Justin R. [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, 225 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Agol, Eric [Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Bizyaev, Dmitry, E-mail: claude.e.mack@vanderbilt.edu [Apache Point Observatory, P.O. Box 59, Sunspot, NM 88349-0059 (United States); and others

2013-05-15

We report the discovery of a highly eccentric, double-lined spectroscopic binary star system (TYC 3010-1494-1), comprising two solar-type stars that we had initially identified as a single star with a brown dwarf companion. At the moderate resolving power of the MARVELS spectrograph and the spectrographs used for subsequent radial-velocity (RV) measurements (R {approx}< 30, 000), this particular stellar binary mimics a single-lined binary with an RV signal that would be induced by a brown dwarf companion (Msin i {approx} 50 M{sub Jup}) to a solar-type primary. At least three properties of this system allow it to masquerade as a single star with a very-low-mass companion: its large eccentricity (e {approx} 0.8), its relatively long period (P {approx} 238 days), and the approximately perpendicular orientation of the semi-major axis with respect to the line of sight ({omega} {approx} 189 Degree-Sign ). As a result of these properties, for {approx}95% of the orbit the two sets of stellar spectral lines are completely blended, and the RV measurements based on centroiding on the apparently single-lined spectrum is very well fit by an orbit solution indicative of a brown dwarf companion on a more circular orbit (e {approx} 0.3). Only during the {approx}5% of the orbit near periastron passage does the true, double-lined nature and large RV amplitude of {approx}15 km s{sup -1} reveal itself. The discovery of this binary system is an important lesson for RV surveys searching for substellar companions; at a given resolution and observing cadence, a survey will be susceptible to these kinds of astrophysical false positives for a range of orbital parameters. Finally, for surveys like MARVELS that lack the resolution for a useful line bisector analysis, it is imperative to monitor the peak of the cross-correlation function for suspicious changes in width or shape, so that such false positives can be flagged during the candidate vetting process.

K2 Ultracool Dwarfs Survey. III. White Light Flares Are Ubiquitous in M6-L0 Dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Paudel, Rishi R.; Gizis, John E.; Mullan, D. J.; Schmidt, Sarah J.; Burgasser, Adam J.; Williams, Peter K. G.; Berger, Edo

2018-05-01

We report the white light flare rates for 10 ultracool dwarfs using Kepler K2 short-cadence data. Among our sample stars, two have spectral type M6, three are M7, three are M8, and two are L0. Most of our targets are old low-mass stars. We identify a total of 283 flares in all of the stars in our sample, with Kepler energies in the range log E Kp ∼ (29–33.5) erg. Using the maximum-likelihood method of line fitting, we find that the flare frequency distribution (FFD) for each star in our sample follows a power law with slope ‑α in the range ‑(1.3–2.0). We find that cooler objects tend to have shallower slopes. For some of our targets, the FFD follows either a broken power law, or a power law with an exponential cutoff. For the L0 dwarf 2MASS J12321827-0951502, we find a very shallow slope (‑α = ‑1.3) in the Kepler energy range (0.82–130) × 1030 erg: this L0 dwarf has flare rates which are comparable to those of high-energy flares in stars of earlier spectral types. In addition, we report photometry of two superflares: one on the L0 dwarf 2MASS J12321827-0951502 and another on the M7 dwarf 2MASS J08352366+1029318. In the case of 2MASS J12321827-0951502, we report a flare brightening by a factor of ∼144 relative to the quiescent photospheric level. Likewise, for 2MASS J08352366+1029318, we report a flare brightening by a factor of ∼60 relative to the quiescent photospheric level. These two superflares have bolometric (ultraviolet/optical/infrared) energies 3.6 × 1033 erg and 8.9 × 1033 erg respectively, while the full width half maximum timescales are very short, ∼2 min. We find that the M8 star TRAPPIST-1 is more active than the M8.5 dwarf 2M03264453+1919309, but less active than another M8 dwarf (2M12215066-0843197).

THE CONTRIBUTION OF HALO WHITE DWARF BINARIES TO THE LASER INTERFEROMETER SPACE ANTENNA SIGNAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiter, Ashley J.; Belczynski, Krzysztof; Benacquista, Matthew; Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly

2009-01-01

Galactic double white dwarfs were postulated as a source of confusion limited noise for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), the future space-based gravitational wave observatory. Until very recently, the Galactic population consisted of a relatively well-studied disk population, a somewhat studied smaller bulge population and a mostly unknown, but potentially large halo population. It has been argued that the halo population may produce a signal that is much stronger (factor of ∼5 in spectral amplitude) than the disk population. However, this surprising result was not based on an actual calculation of a halo white dwarf population, but was derived on (1) the assumption that one can extrapolate the halo population properties from those of the disk population and (2) the postulated (unrealistically) high number of white dwarfs in the halo. We perform the first calculation of a halo white dwarf population using population synthesis models. Our comparison with the signal arising from double white dwarfs in the Galactic disk+bulge clearly shows that it is impossible for the double white dwarf halo signal to exceed that of the rest of the Galaxy. Using microlensing results to give an upper limit on the content of white dwarfs in the halo (∼30% baryonic mass in white dwarfs), our predicted halo signal is a factor of 10 lower than the disk+bulge signal. Even in the implausible case, where all of the baryonic halo mass is found in white dwarfs, the halo signal does not become comparable to that of the disk+bulge, and thus would still have a negligible effect on the detection of other LISA sources.

COMMON PROPER-MOTION WIDE WHITE DWARF BINARIES SELECTED FROM THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrews, Jeff J.; Agueeros, Marcel A. [Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027 (United States); Belczynski, Krzysztof [Astronomical Observatory, University of Warsaw, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warsaw (Poland); Dhital, Saurav [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, 6301 Stevenson Center, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States); Kleinman, S. J. [Gemini Observatory, Northern Operations Center, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); West, Andrew A. [Department of Astronomy, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)

2012-10-01

Wide binaries made up of two white dwarfs (WDs) receive far less attention than their tight counterparts. However, our tests using the binary population synthesis code StarTrack indicate that, for any set of reasonable initial conditions, there exists a significant observable population of double white dwarfs (WDWDs) with orbital separations of 10{sup 2}-10{sup 5} AU. We adapt the technique of Dhital et al. to search for candidate common proper-motion WD companions separated by <10' around the >12,000 spectroscopically confirmed hydrogen-atmosphere WDs recently identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Using two techniques to separate random alignments from high-confidence pairs, we find nine new high-probability wide WDWDs and confirm three previously identified candidate wide WDWDs. This brings the number of known wide WDWDs to 45; our new pairs are a significant addition to the sample, especially at small proper motions (<200 mas yr{sup -1}) and large angular separations (>10''). Spectroscopic follow-up and an extension of this method to a larger, photometrically selected set of SDSS WDs may eventually produce a large enough dataset for WDWDs to realize their full potential as testbeds for theories of stellar evolution.

THE BROWN DWARF KINEMATICS PROJECT (BDKP). IV. RADIAL VELOCITIES OF 85 LATE-M AND L DWARFS WITH MagE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burgasser, Adam J. [Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Logsdon, Sarah E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, 430 Portola Plaza, Box 951547, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States); Gagné, Jonathan [Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), Université de Montréal, Département de Physique, C.P. 6128 Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 (Canada); Bochanski, John J. [Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 (United States); Faherty, Jaqueline K. [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015 (United States); West, Andrew A. [Department of Astronomy, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Mamajek, Eric E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627 (United States); Schmidt, Sarah J. [Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Cruz, Kelle L., E-mail: aburgasser@ucsd.edu [Department of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10034 (United States)

2015-09-15

Radial velocity measurements are presented for 85 late M- and L-type very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs obtained with the Magellan Echellette spectrograph. Targets primarily have distances within 20 pc of the Sun, with more distant sources selected for their unusual spectral energy distributions. We achieved precisions of 2–3 km s{sup −1}, and combined these with astrometric and spectrophotometric data to calculate UVW velocities. Most are members of the thin disk of the Galaxy, and velocity dispersions indicate a mean age of 5.2 ± 0.2 Gyr for sources within 20 pc. We find signficantly different kinematic ages between late-M dwarfs (4.0 ± 0.2 Gyr) and L dwarfs (6.5 ± 0.4 Gyr) in our sample that are contrary to predictions from prior simulations. This difference appears to be driven by a dispersed population of unusually blue L dwarfs which may be more prevalent in our local volume-limited sample than in deeper magnitude-limited surveys. The L dwarfs exhibit an asymmetric U velocity distribution with a net inward flow, similar to gradients recently detected in local stellar samples. Simulations incorporating brown dwarf evolution and Galactic orbital dynamics are unable to reproduce the velocity asymmetry, suggesting non-axisymmetric perturbations or two distinct L dwarf populations. We also find the L dwarfs to have a kinematic age-activity correlation similar to more massive stars. We identify several sources with low surface gravities, and two new substellar candidate members of nearby young moving groups: the astrometric binary DENIS J08230313–4912012AB, a low-probability member of the β Pictoris Moving Group; and 2MASS J15104786–2818174, a moderate-probability member of the 30–50 Myr Argus Association.

RUNAWAY DWARF CARBON STARS AS CANDIDATE SUPERNOVA EJECTA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plant, Kathryn A.; Margon, Bruce; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Cunningham, Emily C.; Toloba, Elisa [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and University of California Observatories, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Munn, Jeffrey A., E-mail: kaplant@ucsc.edu [US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, 10391 West Naval Observatory Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86005-8521 (United States)

2016-12-20

The dwarf carbon (dC) star SDSS J112801.67+004034.6 has an unusually high radial velocity, 531 ± 4 km s{sup −1}. We present proper motion and new spectroscopic observations which imply a large Galactic rest frame velocity, 425 ± 9 km s{sup −1}. Several other SDSS dC stars are also inferred to have very high galactocentric velocities, again each based on both high heliocentric radial velocity and also confidently detected proper motions. Extreme velocities and the presence of C {sub 2} bands in the spectra of dwarf stars are both rare. Passage near the Galactic center can accelerate stars to such extreme velocities, but the large orbital angular momentum of SDSS J1128 precludes this explanation. Ejection from a supernova in a binary system or disruption of a binary by other stars are possibilities, particularly as dC stars are thought to obtain their photospheric C {sub 2} via mass transfer from an evolved companion.

An expanded set of brown dwarf and very low mass star models

Science.gov (United States)

Burrows, A.; Hubbard, W. B.; Saumon, D.; Lunine, J. I.

1993-01-01

We present in this paper updated and improved theoretical models of brown dwarfs and late M dwarfs. The evolution and characteristics of objects between 0.01 and 0.2 solar mass are exhaustively investigated and special emphasis is placed on their properties at early ages. The dependence on the helium fraction, deuterium fraction, and metallicity of the masses, effective temperature and luminosities at the edge of the hydrogen main sequence are calculated. We derive luminosity functions for representative mass functions and compare our predictions to recent cluster data. We show that there are distinctive features in the theoretical luminosity functions that can serve as diagnostics of brown dwarf physics. A zero-metallicity model is presented as a bound to or approximation of a putative extreme halo population.

Binary Systems and the Initial Mass Function

Science.gov (United States)

Malkov, O. Yu.

2017-07-01

In the present paper we discuss advantages and disadvantages of binary stars, which are important for star formation history determination. We show that to make definite conclusions of the initial mass function shape, it is necessary to study binary population well enough to correct the luminosity function for unresolved binaries; to construct the mass-luminosity relation based on wide binaries data, and to separate observational mass functions of primaries, of secondaries, and of unresolved binaries.

BD -22 5866: A Low-Mass, Quadruple-lined Spectroscopic and Eclipsing Binary

Science.gov (United States)

Shkolnik, Evgenya; Liu, Michael C.; Reid, I. Neill; Hebb, Leslie; Cameron, Andrew C.; Torres, Carlos A.; Wilson, David M.

2008-08-01

We report our discovery of an extremely rare, low-mass, quadruple-lined spectroscopic binary BD -22 5866 (=NLTT 53279, integrated spectral type = M0 V), found during an ongoing search for the youngest M dwarfs in the solar neighborhood. From the cross-correlation function, we are able to measure relative flux levels, estimate the spectral types of the components, and set upper limits on the orbital periods and separations. The resulting system is hierarchical, composed of a K7 + K7 binary and an M1 + M2 binary with semimajor axes of aAsin iA system was unresolved with published adaptive optics imaging, limits the projected physical separation of the two binaries at the time of the observation to dABlesssim 4.1 AU at the photometric distance of 51 pc. The maximum observed radial velocity difference between the A and B binaries limits the orbit to aABsin iAB systems, we speculate that an early dynamical process reduced the size of the system, such as the interaction of the two binaries with a circumquadruple disk. Intensive photometric, spectroscopic, and interferometric monitoring, as well as a parallax measurement of this rare quadruple system, is certainly warranted. Based on observations collected at the W. M. Keck Observatory and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). The Keck Observatory is operated as a scientific partnership between the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA, and was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. The CFHT is operated by the National Research Council of Canada, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France, and the University of Hawaii.

Gaia Assorted Mass Binaries Long Excluded from SLoWPoKES (GAMBLES): Identifying Ultra-wide Binary Pairs with Components of Diverse Mass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oelkers, Ryan J.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Dhital, Saurav, E-mail: ryan.j.oelkers@vanderbilt.edu [Vanderbilt University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States)

2017-06-01

The formation and evolution of binary star systems are some of the remaining key questions in modern astronomy. Wide binary pairs (separations >10{sup 3} au) are particularly intriguing because their low binding energies make it difficult for the stars to stay gravitationally bound over extended timescales, and thus to probe the dynamics of binary formation and dissolution. Our previous SLoWPoKES catalogs, I and II, provided the largest and most complete sample of wide-binary pairs of low masses. Here we present an extension of these catalogs to a broad range of stellar masses: the Gaia Assorted Mass Binaries Long Excluded from SloWPoKES (GAMBLES), comprising 8660 statistically significant wide pairs that we make available in a living online database. Within this catalog we identify a subset of 543 long-lived (dissipation timescale >1.5 Gyr) candidate binary pairs, of assorted mass, with typical separations between 10{sup 3} and 10{sup 5.5} au (0.002–1.5 pc), using the published distances and proper motions from the Tycho -Gaia Astrometric Solution and Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometry. Each pair has at most a false positive probability of 0.05; the total expectation is 2.44 false binaries in our sample. Among these, we find 22 systems with 3 components, 1 system with 4 components, and 15 pairs consisting of at least 1 possible red giant. We find the largest long-lived binary separation to be nearly 3.2 pc; even so, >76% of GAMBLES long-lived binaries have large binding energies and dissipation lifetimes longer than 1.5 Gyr. Finally, we find that the distribution of binary separations is clearly bimodal, corroborating the findings from SloWPoKES and suggesting multiple pathways for the formation and dissipation of the widest binaries in the Galaxy.

Gaia Assorted Mass Binaries Long Excluded from SLoWPoKES (GAMBLES): Identifying Ultra-wide Binary Pairs with Components of Diverse Mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oelkers, Ryan J.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Dhital, Saurav

2017-01-01

The formation and evolution of binary star systems are some of the remaining key questions in modern astronomy. Wide binary pairs (separations >10 3 au) are particularly intriguing because their low binding energies make it difficult for the stars to stay gravitationally bound over extended timescales, and thus to probe the dynamics of binary formation and dissolution. Our previous SLoWPoKES catalogs, I and II, provided the largest and most complete sample of wide-binary pairs of low masses. Here we present an extension of these catalogs to a broad range of stellar masses: the Gaia Assorted Mass Binaries Long Excluded from SloWPoKES (GAMBLES), comprising 8660 statistically significant wide pairs that we make available in a living online database. Within this catalog we identify a subset of 543 long-lived (dissipation timescale >1.5 Gyr) candidate binary pairs, of assorted mass, with typical separations between 10 3 and 10 5.5 au (0.002–1.5 pc), using the published distances and proper motions from the Tycho -Gaia Astrometric Solution and Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometry. Each pair has at most a false positive probability of 0.05; the total expectation is 2.44 false binaries in our sample. Among these, we find 22 systems with 3 components, 1 system with 4 components, and 15 pairs consisting of at least 1 possible red giant. We find the largest long-lived binary separation to be nearly 3.2 pc; even so, >76% of GAMBLES long-lived binaries have large binding energies and dissipation lifetimes longer than 1.5 Gyr. Finally, we find that the distribution of binary separations is clearly bimodal, corroborating the findings from SloWPoKES and suggesting multiple pathways for the formation and dissipation of the widest binaries in the Galaxy.

MID-INFRARED PHOTOMETRY OF COLD BROWN DWARFS: DIVERSITY IN AGE, MASS, AND METALLICITY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leggett, S. K.; Burningham, Ben; Jones, H. R. A.; Lucas, P. W.; Pinfield, D. J.; Saumon, D.; Marley, M. S.; Warren, S. J.; Smart, R. L.; Tamura, Motohide

2010-01-01

We present new Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) photometry of 12 very late-type T dwarfs: nine have [3.6], [4.5], [5.8], and [8.0] photometry and three have [3.6] and [4.5] photometry only. Combining this with previously published photometry, we investigate trends with type and color that are useful for both the planning and interpretation of infrared surveys designed to discover the coldest T or Y dwarfs. The online appendix provides a collation of MKO-system YJHKL'M' and IRAC photometry for a sample of M, L, and T dwarfs. Brown dwarfs with effective temperature (T eff ) below 700 K emit more than half their flux at wavelengths longer than 3 μm, and the ratio of the mid-infrared flux to the near-infrared flux becomes very sensitive to T eff at these low temperatures. We confirm that the color H (1.6 μm) - [4.5] is a good indicator of T eff with a relatively weak dependence on metallicity and gravity. Conversely, the colors H - K (2.2 μm) and [4.5] - [5.8] are sensitive to metallicity and gravity. Thus, near- and mid-infrared photometry provide useful indicators of the fundamental properties of brown dwarfs, and if temperature and gravity are known, then mass and age can be reliably determined from evolutionary models. There are 12 dwarfs currently known with H- [4.5] >3.0, and 500 K ∼ eff ∼<800 K, which we examine in detail. The ages of the dwarfs in the sample range from very young (0.1-1.0 Gyr) to relatively old (3-12 Gyr). The mass range is possibly as low as 5 Jupiter masses to up to 70 Jupiter masses, i.e., near the hydrogen burning limit. The metallicities also span a large range, from [m/H] = -0.3 to [m/H] = +0.3. The small number of T8-T9 dwarfs found in the UK Infrared Telescope Infrared Deep Sky Survey to date appear to be predominantly young low-mass dwarfs. Accurate mid-infrared photometry of cold brown dwarfs is essentially impossible from the ground, and extensions to the mid-infrared space missions, warm-Spitzer and Wide-Field Infrared

VLA Observations of the Disk around the Young Brown Dwarf 2MASS J044427+2512

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ricci, L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 (United States); Rome, H. [The Kinkaid School, 201 Kinkaid School Drive, Houston, TX 77024 (United States); Pinilla, P. [Department of Astronomy Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Facchini, S. [Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Birnstiel, T. [University Observatory, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Scheinerstr. 1, D-81679 Munich (Germany); Testi, L., E-mail: luca.ricci@rice.edu [European Southern Observatory (ESO) Headquarters, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

2017-09-01

We present multi-wavelength radio observations obtained with the VLA of the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young brown dwarf 2MASS J04442713+2512164 (2M0444) in the Taurus star-forming region. 2M0444 is the brightest known brown dwarf disk at millimeter wavelengths, making this an ideal target to probe radio emission from a young brown dwarf. Thermal emission from dust in the disk is detected at 6.8 and 9.1 mm, whereas the 1.36 cm measured flux is dominated by ionized gas emission. We combine these data with previous observations at shorter sub-mm and mm wavelengths to test the predictions of dust evolution models in gas-rich disks after adapting their parameters to the case of 2M0444. These models show that the radial drift mechanism affecting solids in a gaseous environment has to be either completely made inefficient, or significantly slowed down by very strong gas pressure bumps in order to explain the presence of mm/cm-sized grains in the outer regions of the 2M0444 disk. We also discuss the possible mechanisms for the origin of the ionized gas emission detected at 1.36 cm. The inferred radio luminosity for this emission is in line with the relation between radio and bolometric luminosity valid for for more massive and luminous young stellar objects, and extrapolated down to the very low luminosity of the 2M0444 brown dwarf.

The mass limit of white dwarfs with strong magnetic fields in general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen De-Hua; Liu He-Lei; Zhang Xiang-Dong

2014-01-01

Recently, U. Das and B. Mukhopadhyay proposed that the Chandrasekhar limit of a white dwarf could reach a new high level (2.58M⊙) if a superstrong magnetic field were considered (Das U and Mukhopadhyay B 2013 Phys. Rev. Lett. 110 071102), where the structure of the strongly magnetized white dwarf (SMWD) is calculated in the framework of Newtonian theory (NT). As the SMWD has a far smaller size, in contrast with the usual expectation, we found that there is an obvious general relativistic effect (GRE) in the SMWD. For example, for the SMWD with a one Landau level system, the super-Chandrasekhar mass limit in general relativity (GR) is approximately 16.5% lower than that in NT. More interestingly, the maximal mass of the white dwarf will be first increased when the magnetic field strength keeps on increasing and reaches the maximal value M = 2.48M⊙ with B D = 391.5. Then if we further increase the magnetic fields, surprisingly, the maximal mass of the white dwarf will decrease when one takes the GRE into account. (geophysics, astronomy, and astrophysics)

K2 Ultracool Dwarfs Survey. II. The White Light Flare Rate of Young Brown Dwarfs

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Gizis, John E.; Paudel, Rishi R.; Mullan, Dermott; Schmidt, Sarah J.; Burgasser, Adam J.; Williams, Peter K. G.

2017-08-01

We use Kepler K2 Campaign 4 short-cadence (one-minute) photometry to measure white light flares in the young, moving group brown dwarfs 2MASS J03350208+2342356 (2M0335+23) and 2MASS J03552337+1133437 (2M0355+11), and report on long-cadence (thirty-minute) photometry of a superflare in the Pleiades M8 brown dwarf CFHT-PL-17. The rotation period (5.24 hr) and projected rotational velocity (45 km s-1) confirm 2M0335+23 is inflated (R≥slant 0.20 {R}⊙ ) as predicted for a 0.06 {M}⊙ , 24 Myr old brown dwarf βPic moving group member. We detect 22 white light flares on 2M0335+23. The flare frequency distribution follows a power-law distribution with slope -α =-1.8+/- 0.2 over the range 1031 to 1033 erg. This slope is similar to that observed in the Sun and warmer flare stars, and is consistent with lower-energy flares in previous work on M6-M8 very-low-mass stars; taking the two data sets together, the flare frequency distribution for ultracool dwarfs is a power law over 4.3 orders of magnitude. The superflare (2.6× {10}34 erg) on CFHT-PL-17 shows higher-energy flares are possible. We detect no flares down to a limit of 2× {10}30 erg in the nearby L5γ AB Dor moving group brown dwarf 2M0355+11, consistent with the view that fast magnetic reconnection is suppressed in cool atmospheres. We discuss two multi-peaked flares observed in 2M0335+23, and argue that these complex flares can be understood as sympathetic flares, in which fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic waves similar to extreme-ultraviolet waves in the Sun trigger magnetic reconnection in different active regions.

LBT Discovery of a Yellow Supergiant Eclipsing Binary in the Dwarf Galaxy Holmberg IX

Science.gov (United States)

Prieto, J. L.; Stanek, K. Z.; Kochanek, C. S.; Weisz, D. R.; Baruffolo, A.; Bechtold, J.; Burwitz, V.; De Santis, C.; Gallozzi, S.; Garnavich, P. M.; Giallongo, E.; Hill, J. M.; Pogge, R. W.; Ragazzoni, R.; Speziali, R.; Thompson, D. J.; Wagner, R. M.

2008-01-01

In a variability survey of M81 using the Large Binocular Telescope we have discovered a peculiar eclipsing binary (MV ~ - 7.1) in the field of the dwarf galaxy Holmberg IX. It has a period of 271 days, and the light curve is well fit by an overcontact model in which both stars are overflowing their Roche lobes. It is composed of two yellow supergiants (V - Isimeq 1 mag, Teffsimeq 4800 K), rather than the far more common red or blue supergiants. Such systems must be rare. While we failed to find any similar systems in the literature, we did, however, note a second example. The SMC F0 supergiant R47 is a bright (MV ~ - 7.5) periodic variable whose All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) light curve is well fit as a contact binary with a 181 day period. We propose that these systems are the progenitors of supernovae like SN 2004et and SN 2006ov, which appeared to have yellow progenitors. The binary interactions (mass transfer, mass loss) limit the size of the supergiant to give it a higher surface temperature than an isolated star at the same core evolutionary stage. We also discuss the possibility of this variable being a long-period Cepheid. Based on data acquired using the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). The LBT is an international collaboration among institutions in the United States, Italy and Germany. LBT Corporation partners are The University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona university system; Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy; LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Germany, representing the Max-Planck Society, the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, and Heidelberg University; The Ohio State University, and The Research Corporation, on behalf of The University of Notre Dame, University of Minnesota, and University of Virginia.

Benchmark Transiting Brown Dwarf LHS 6343 C: Spitzer Secondary Eclipse Observations Yield Brightness Temperature and Mid-T Spectral Class

OpenAIRE

Montet, B.T.; Johnson, J.A.; Fortney, J.J.; Desert, J.-M.

2016-01-01

© 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.. There are no field brown dwarf analogs with measured masses, radii, and luminosities, precluding our ability to connect the population of transiting brown dwarfs with measurable masses and radii and field brown dwarfs with measurable luminosities and atmospheric properties. LHS 6343 C, a weakly irradiated brown dwarf transiting one member of an M+M binary in the Kepler field, provides the first opportunity to probe the atmospher...

Very low velocity ion slowing down in binary ionic mixtures: Charge- and mass-asymmetry effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrice Fromy

2010-10-01

Full Text Available A binary ionic mixture (BIM in dense and hot plasmas of specific concern for inertial confinement fusion and white dwarf crust is considered as a target for incoming light ions with a velocity smaller than the thermal electron one. The given target stopping power, mostly BIM monitored, is specifically studied in terms of charge and mass asymmetry in its ionic component. The classical plasma target is worked out within a dielectric framework, and scanned with respect to density, temperature, and BIM composition.

An Intermediate-Mass Black Hole in the Dwarf Seyfert 1 Galaxy POX 52

Science.gov (United States)

Barth, A.; Ho, L.; Sargent, W.

2004-06-01

We describe new observations of POX 52, a previously known but nearly forgotten example of a dwarf galaxy with an active nucleus. While POX 52 was originally thought to be a Seyfert 2 galaxy, the new data reveal an emission-line spectrum very similar to that of the dwarf Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4395, with clear broad components to the permitted line profiles. The host galaxy appears to be a dwarf elliptical; this is the only known case of a Seyfert nucleus in a galaxy of this type. Applying scaling relations to estimate the black hole mass from the broad Hβ linewidth and continuum luminosity, we find MBH ≈ 1.6×105 M⊙. The stellar velocity dispersion in the host galaxy is 36 km s-1, also suggestive of a black hole mass of order 105 M⊙. Further searches for AGNs in dwarf galaxies can provide crucial constraints on the demographics of black holes in the mass range below 106 M⊙.

A NEARLY VOLUME-COMPLETE SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY OF THE CLOSESTMID-TO-LATE M DWARFS

Science.gov (United States)

Winters, Jennifer; Irwin, Jonathan; Newton, Elisabeth; Charbonneau, David; Latham, David W.; Mink, Jessica; Esquerdo, Gil; Berlind, Perry; Calkins, Mike

2018-01-01

Recent results from Kepler estimate that M dwarfs harbor 2.5 planets per star. Yet, we will understand our exoplanet discoveries only as well as we understand their host stars, and much remains unknown about our low-mass stellar neighbors, such as their kinematics, ages, and multiplicity. A nearly volume-complete sample of M dwarfs lies within 15 pc of the Sun, and it is only for planets orbiting these nearest and smallest stars that thorough follow-up work for characterization will be possible. Unfortunately, more than half of this sample have only low-resolution (R SMARTS) 1.5m. We present here results from year one of our TRES survey. We have measured radial velocities, rotational broadening, and H-alpha equivalent widths for 305 mid-to-late M dwarfs. We have discovered five new spectroscopic binaries, one of which is a rare M dwarf - (likely) brown dwarf binary within 10 pc, for which we have determined the orbit.Our survey more than doubles the number of mid-M dwarfs within 15 pc with complete high-resolution spectroscopic and trigonometric characterization. We hope to provide a legacy dataset for the use of future generations of astronomers.This work is being supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation.

The white dwarf in dwarf nova SDSS J080434.20+510349.2: Entering the instability strip?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavlenko, E, E-mail: pavlenko@crao.crimea.u [Crimean astrophysical observatory, Crimea 98409 (Ukraine)

2009-06-01

SDSS J080434.20+510349.2 is a WZ Sge type binary that displayed a rare outburst in 2006 (Pavlenko et al. 2007). During the long-lasting tail of the late stage of the outburst, the binary showed a two-humped or four-humped profile of the orbital light modulation. The amplitude of the orbital light curve decreased while the mean brightness decreased; moreover, that occurred approx 10 times faster during the fast outburst decline with respect to the late quiet state of slow outburst fading. There were no white dwarf pulsations detected in this system, neither 1 - 1.5 months prior to the outburst, nor in 1.5 - 2 months after the 2006 outburst. However, strong non-radial pulsations with period 12.6 minutes and a mean amplitude of 0.05m were first detected in the V band with the 2.6-m Shajn mirror telescope of the Crimean astrophysical observatory, approx 8 months after the outburst. The evolution of pulsations over two years, in 2006 - 2008, is considered. It is supposed that pulsations first appeared when the cooling white dwarf (after the outburst) entered the instability strip, although the possibility of temporary lack of pulsations at some occasions could not be excluded.

POX 52: A Dwarf Seyfert 1 Galaxy with an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole

Science.gov (United States)

Barth, Aaron J.; Ho, Luis C.; Rutledge, Robert E.; Sargent, Wallace L. W.

2004-05-01

We describe new optical images and spectra of POX 52, a dwarf galaxy with an active nucleus that was originally detected in the POX objective-prism survey. While POX 52 was originally thought to be a Seyfert 2 galaxy, the new data reveal an emission-line spectrum very similar to that of the dwarf Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4395, with broad components to the permitted line profiles, and we classify POX 52 as a Seyfert 1 galaxy. The host galaxy appears to be a dwarf elliptical, and its brightness profile is best fit by a Sérsic model with an index of 3.6+/-0.2 and a total magnitude of MV=-17.6. Applying mass-luminosity-line width scaling relations to estimate the black hole mass from the broad Hβ line width and nonstellar continuum luminosity, we find MBH~1.6×105Msolar. The stellar velocity dispersion in the host galaxy, measured from the Ca II λ8498, 8542 lines, is 36+/-5 km s-1, also suggestive of a black hole mass of order 105Msolar. Further searches for active nuclei in dwarf galaxies can provide unique constraints on the demographics of black holes in the mass range below 106Msolar.

The EBLM Project. IV. Spectroscopic orbits of over 100 eclipsing M dwarfs masquerading as transiting hot Jupiters

Science.gov (United States)

Triaud, Amaury H. M. J.; Martin, David V.; Ségransan, Damien; Smalley, Barry; Maxted, Pierre F. L.; Anderson, David R.; Bouchy, François; Collier Cameron, Andrew; Faedi, Francesca; Gómez Maqueo Chew, Yilen; Hebb, Leslie; Hellier, Coel; Marmier, Maxime; Pepe, Francesco; Pollacco, Don; Queloz, Didier; Udry, Stéphane; West, Richard

2017-12-01

We present 2271 radial velocity measurements taken on 118 single-line binary stars, taken over eight years with the CORALIE spectrograph. The binaries consist of F/G/K primaries and M dwarf secondaries. They were initially discovered photometrically by the WASP planet survey, as their shallow eclipses mimic a hot Jupiter transit. The observations we present permit a precise characterisation of the binary orbital elements and mass function. With modelling of the primary star, this mass function is converted to a mass of the secondary star. In the future, this spectroscopic work will be combined with precise photometric eclipses to draw an empirical mass/radius relation for the bottom of the mass sequence. This has applications in both stellar astrophysics and the growing number of exoplanet surveys around M dwarfs. In particular, we have discovered 34 systems with a secondary mass below 0.2 M⊙, and so we will ultimately double the number of known very low-mass stars with well-characterised masses and radii. The quality of our data combined with the amplitude of the Doppler variations mean that we are able to detect eccentricities as small as 0.001 and orbital periods to sub-second precision. Our sample can revisit some earlier work on the tidal evolution of close binaries, extending it to low mass ratios. We find some exceptional binary systems that are eccentric at orbital periods below three days, while our longest circular orbit has a period of 10.4 days. Amongst our systems, we note one remarkable architecture in J1146-42 that boasts three stars within one astronomical unit. By collating the EBLM binaries with published WASP planets and brown dwarfs, we derive a mass spectrum with twice the resolution of previous work. We compare the WASP/EBLM sample of tightly bound orbits with work in the literature on more distant companions up to 10 AU. We note that the brown dwarf desert appears wider, as it carves into the planetary domain for our short-period orbits

RED DWARF DYNAMO RAISES PUZZLE OVER INTERIORS OF LOWEST-MASS STARS

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered surprising evidence that powerful magnetic fields might exist around the lowest mass stars in the universe, which are near the threshold of stellar burning processes. 'New theories will have to be developed to explain how these strong fields are produced, since conventional models predict that these low mass red dwarfs should have very weak or no magnetic fields,' says Dr. Jeffrey Linsky of the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA) in Boulder, Colorado. 'The Hubble observations provide clear evidence that very low mass red dwarf stars must have some form of dynamo to amplify their magnetic fields.' His conclusions are based upon Hubble's detection of a high-temperature outburst, called a flare, on the surface of the extremely small, cool red dwarf star Van Biesbroeck 10 (VB10) also known as Gliese 752B. Stellar flares are caused by intense, twisted magnetic fields that accelerate and contain gasses which are much hotter than a star's surface. Explosive flares are common on the Sun and expected for stars that have internal structures similar to our Sun's. Stars as small as VB10 are predicted to have a simpler internal structure than that of the Sun and so are not expected to generate the electric currents required for magnetic fields that drive flares. Besides leading to a clearer understanding of the interior structure of the smallest red dwarf stars known, these unexpected results might possibly shed light on brown dwarf stars. A brown dwarf is a long-sought class of astronomical object that is too small to shine like a star through nuclear fusion processes, but is too large to be considered a planet. 'Since VB10 is nearly a brown dwarf, it is likely brown dwarfs also have strong magnetic fields,' says Linsky. 'Additional Hubble searches for flares are needed to confirm this prediction.' A QUARTER-MILLION DEGREE TORCH The star VB10 and its companion star Gliese 752A make up a binary system located 19 light

Ogle-2012-blg-0724lb: A Saturn Mass Planet Around an M-dwarf

Science.gov (United States)

Hirao, Y.; Sumi, T.; Bennett, D. P.; Bond, I. A.; Rattenbury, N.; Suzuki, D.; Koshimoto, N.; Abe, F.; Asakura, Y.; Bhattacharya, A.

2016-01-01

We report the discovery of a planet by the microlensing method, OGLE-2012-BLG-0724Lb. Although the duration of the planetary signal for this event was one of the shortest seen for a planetary event, the anomaly was well covered thanks to high-cadence observations taken by the survey groups OGLE and MOA. By analyzing the light curve, this planetary system is found to have a mass ratio q = (1.58 +/- 0.15) x 10(exp -3). By conducting a Bayesian analysis, we estimate that the host star is an M dwarf with a mass of M(sub L) = 0.29(+0.33/-0.16) solar mass located at D(sub L) = 6.7(+1.1/-1.2) kpc away from the Earth and the companion's mass is m(sub P) = 0.47(+0.54/-0.26) M(Jup). The projected planet- host separation is a falsum = 1.6(+0.4/-0.3) AU. Because the lens-source relative proper motion is relatively high, future highresolution images would detect the lens host star and determine the lens properties uniquely. This system is likely a Saturn-mass exoplanet around an M dwarf, and such systems are commonly detected by gravitational microlensing. This adds another example of a possible pileup of sub-Jupiters (0.2 less than m(sub P)/M(sub Jup) less than 1) in contrast to a lack of Jupiters (approximately 1-2 M(sub Jup)) around M dwarfs, supporting the prediction by core accretion models that Jupiter-mass or more massive planets are unlikely to form around M dwarfs.

Polarimetric Evidence of the First White Dwarf Pulsar: The Binary System AR Scorpii

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David A.H. Buckley

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The binary star AR Scorpii was recently discovered to exhibit high amplitude coherent variability across the electromagnetic spectrum (ultraviolet to radio at two closely spaced ∼2 min periods, attributed to the spin period of a white dwarf and the beat period. There is strong evidence (low X-ray luminosity, lack of flickering and absense of broad emission lines that AR Sco is a detached non-accreting system whose luminosity is dominated by the spin-down power of a white dwarf, due to magnetohydrodynamical (MHD interactions with its M5 companion. Optical polarimetry has revealed highly pulsed linear polarization on the same periods, reaching a maximum of 40%, consistent with a pulsar-like dipole, with the Stokes Q and U variations reminiscent of the Crab pulsar. These observations, coupled with the spectral energy distribution (SED which is dominated by non-thermal emission, characteristic of synchrotron emission, support the notion that a strongly magnetic (∼200 MG white dwarf is behaving like a pulsar, whose magnetic field interacts with the secondary star’s photosphere and magnetosphere. Radio synchrotron emission is produced from the pumping action of the white dwarf’s magnetic field on coronal loops from the M-star companion, while emission at high frequencies (UV/optical/X-ray comes from the particle wind, driven by large electric potential, again reminiscent of processes seen in neutron star pulsars.

Mass Transfer in Mira-Type Binaries

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Mohamed S.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Detached, symbiotic binaries are generally assumed to interact via Bondi-Hoyle-Littleton (BHL wind accretion. However, the accretion rates and outflow geometries that result from this mass-transfer mechanism cannot adequately explain the observations of the nearest and best studied symbiotic binary, Mira, or the formation of some post-AGB binaries, e.g. barium stars. We propose a new mass-transfer mode for Mira-type binaries, which we call ‘wind Roche-lobe overflow’ (WRLOF, and which we demonstrate with 3D hydrodynamic simulations. Importantly, we show that the circumstellar outflows which result from WRLOF tend to be highly aspherical and strongly focused towards the binary orbital plane. Furthermore, the subsequent mass-transfer rates are at least an order of magnitude greater than the analogous BHL values. We discuss the implications of these results for the shaping of bipolar (proto-planetary nebulae and other related systems.

Low-mass eclipsing binaries in the WFCAM Transit Survey: the persistence of the M-dwarf radius inflation problem

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Patricia; Diaz, Marcos; Birkby, Jayne; Barrado, David; Sipöcz, Brigitta; Hodgkin, Simon

2018-06-01

We present the characterization of five new short-period low-mass eclipsing binaries (LMEBs) from the WFCAM Transit Survey. The analysis was performed by using the photometric WFCAM J-mag data and additional low- and intermediate-resolution spectroscopic data to obtain both orbital and physical properties of the studied sample. The light curves and the measured radial velocity curves were modelled simultaneously with the JKTEBOP code, with Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations for the error estimates. The best-model fit have revealed that the investigated detached binaries are in very close orbits, with orbital separations of 2.9 ≤ a ≤ 6.7 R⊙ and short periods of 0.59 ≤ Porb ≤ 1.72 d, approximately. We have derived stellar masses between 0.24 and 0.72 M⊙ and radii ranging from 0.42 to 0.67 R⊙. The great majority of the LMEBs in our sample has an estimated radius far from the predicted values according to evolutionary models. The components with derived masses of M < 0.6 M⊙ present a radius inflation of {˜ }9 per cent or more. This general behaviour follows the trend of inflation for partially radiative stars proposed previously. These systems add to the increasing sample of low-mass stellar radii that are not well-reproduced by stellar models. They further highlight the need to understand the magnetic activity and physical state of small stars. Missions like TESS will provide many such systems to perform high-precision radius measurements to tightly constrain low-mass stellar evolution models.

The white dwarf binary pathways survey - II. Radial velocities of 1453 FGK stars with white dwarf companions from LAMOST DR 4

Science.gov (United States)

Rebassa-Mansergas, A.; Ren, J. J.; Irawati, P.; García-Berro, E.; Parsons, S. G.; Schreiber, M. R.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Rodríguez-Gil, P.; Liu, X.; Manser, C.; Nevado, S. P.; Jiménez-Ibarra, F.; Costero, R.; Echevarría, J.; Michel, R.; Zorotovic, M.; Hollands, M.; Han, Z.; Luo, A.; Villaver, E.; Kong, X.

2017-12-01

We present the second paper of a series of publications aiming at obtaining a better understanding regarding the nature of type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) progenitors by studying a large sample of detached F, G and K main-sequence stars in close orbits with white dwarf companions (i.e. WD+FGK binaries). We employ the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) data release 4 spectroscopic data base together with Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) ultraviolet fluxes to identify 1549 WD+FGK binary candidates (1057 of which are new), thus doubling the number of known sources. We measure the radial velocities of 1453 of these binaries from the available LAMOST spectra and/or from spectra obtained by us at a wide variety of different telescopes around the globe. The analysis of the radial velocity data allows us to identify 24 systems displaying more than 3σ radial velocity variation that we classify as close binaries. We also discuss the fraction of close binaries among WD+FGK systems, which we find to be ∼10 per cent, and demonstrate that high-resolution spectroscopy is required to efficiently identify double-degenerate SN Ia progenitor candidates.

X-Ray and Optical Observations of the Unique Binary System HD 49798/RX J0648.0-4418

Science.gov (United States)

Mereghetti, S.; La Palombara, N.; Tiengo, A.; Pizzolato, F.; Esposito, P.; Woudt, P. A.; Israel, G. L.; Stella, L.

2011-08-01

We report the results of XMM-Newton observations of HD 49798/RX J0648.0-4418, the only known X-ray binary consisting of a hot sub-dwarf and a white dwarf. The white dwarf rotates very rapidly (P = 13.2 s) and has a dynamically measured mass of 1.28 ± 0.05 M sun. Its X-ray emission consists of a strongly pulsed, soft component, well fit by a blackbody with kT BB ~ 40 eV, accounting for most of the luminosity, and a fainter hard power-law component (photon index ~1.6). A luminosity of ~1032 erg s-1 is produced by accretion onto the white dwarf of the helium-rich matter from the wind of the companion, which is one of the few hot sub-dwarfs showing evidence of mass loss. A search for optical pulsations at the South African Astronomical Observatory 1.9 m telescope gave negative results. X-rays were also detected during the white dwarf eclipse. This emission, with luminosity 2 × 1030 erg s-1, can be attributed to HD 49798 and represents the first detection of a hot sub-dwarf star in the X-ray band. HD 49798/RX J0648.0-4418 is a post-common-envelope binary which most likely originated from a pair of stars with masses ~8-10 M sun. After the current He-burning phase, HD 49798 will expand and reach the Roche lobe, causing a higher accretion rate onto the white dwarf which can reach the Chandrasekhar limit. Considering the fast spin of the white dwarf, this could lead to the formation of a millisecond pulsar. Alternatively, this system could be a Type Ia supernova progenitor with the appealing characteristic of a short time delay, being the descendent of relatively massive stars.

Very Low-mass Stellar and Substellar Companions to Solar-like Stars from MARVELS. VI. A Giant Planet and a Brown Dwarf Candidate in a Close Binary System HD 87646

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Bo; Ge, Jian; Wolszczan, Alex; Muterspaugh, Matthew W.; Lee, Brian; Henry, Gregory W.; Schneider, Donald P.; Martín, Eduardo L.; Niedzielski, Andrzej; Xie, Jiwei; Fleming, Scott W.; Thomas, Neil; Williamson, Michael; Zhu, Zhaohuan; Agol, Eric; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Nicolaci da Costa, Luiz; Jiang, Peng; Martinez Fiorenzano, A. F.; González Hernández, Jonay I.; Guo, Pengcheng; Grieves, Nolan; Li, Rui; Liu, Jane; Mahadevan, Suvrath; Mazeh, Tsevi; Nguyen, Duy Cuong; Paegert, Martin; Sithajan, Sirinrat; Stassun, Keivan; Thirupathi, Sivarani; van Eyken, Julian C.; Wan, Xiaoke; Wang, Ji; Wisniewski, John P.; Zhao, Bo; Zucker, Shay

2016-11-01

We report the detections of a giant planet (MARVELS-7b) and a brown dwarf (BD) candidate (MARVELS-7c) around the primary star in the close binary system, HD 87646. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first close binary system with more than one substellar circumprimary companion that has been discovered. The detection of this giant planet was accomplished using the first multi-object Doppler instrument (KeckET) at the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) telescope. Subsequent radial velocity observations using the Exoplanet Tracker at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, the High Resolution Spectrograph at the Hobby Eberley telescope, the “Classic” spectrograph at the Automatic Spectroscopic Telescope at the Fairborn Observatory, and MARVELS from SDSS-III confirmed this giant planet discovery and revealed the existence of a long-period BD in this binary. HD 87646 is a close binary with a separation of ˜22 au between the two stars, estimated using the Hipparcos catalog and our newly acquired AO image from PALAO on the 200 inch Hale Telescope at Palomar. The primary star in the binary, HD 87646A, has {T}{eff} = 5770 ± 80 K, log g = 4.1 ± 0.1, and [Fe/H] = -0.17 ± 0.08. The derived minimum masses of the two substellar companions of HD 87646A are 12.4 ± 0.7 {M}{Jup} and 57.0 ± 3.7 {M}{Jup}. The periods are 13.481 ± 0.001 days and 674 ± 4 days and the measured eccentricities are 0.05 ± 0.02 and 0.50 ± 0.02 respectively. Our dynamical simulations show that the system is stable if the binary orbit has a large semimajor axis and a low eccentricity, which can be verified with future astrometry observations.

KOI 1224: A FOURTH BLOATED HOT WHITE DWARF COMPANION FOUND WITH KEPLER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breton, R. P.; Van Kerkwijk, M. H.; Rappaport, S. A.; Carter, J. A.

2012-01-01

We present an analysis and interpretation of the Kepler binary system KOI 1224. This is the fourth binary found with Kepler that consists of a thermally bloated, hot white dwarf in a close orbit with a more or less normal star of spectral class A or F. As we show, KOI 1224 contains a white dwarf with T eff = 14, 700 ± 1000 K, mass = 0.22 ± 0.02 M ☉ , and radius = 0.103 ± 0.002 R ☉ , and an F-star companion of mass 1.59 ± 0.06 M ☉ that is somewhat beyond its terminal-age main sequence. The orbital period is quite short at 2.69802 days. The ingredients that are used in the analysis are the Kepler binary light curve, including the detection of the Doppler boosting effect; the NUV and FUV fluxes from the GALEX images of this object; an estimate of the spectral type of the F-star companion; and evolutionary models of the companion designed to match its effective temperature and mean density. The light curve is modeled with a new code named Icarus which we describe in detail. Its features include the full treatment of orbital phase-resolved spectroscopy, Doppler boosting, irradiation effects, and transits/eclipses, which are particularly suited to irradiated eclipsing binaries. We interpret the KOI 1224 system in terms of its likely evolutionary history. We infer that this type of system, containing a bloated hot white dwarf, is the direct descendant of an Algol-type binary. In spite of this basic understanding of the origin of KOI 1224, we discuss a number of problems associated with producing a system with an orbital period this short.

The solar neighborhood. XXXIV. A search for planets orbiting nearby M dwarfs using astrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lurie, John C.; Henry, Todd J.; Ianna, Philip A.; Jao, Wei-Chun; Quinn, Samuel N.; Winters, Jennifer G.; Koerner, David W.; Riedel, Adric R.; Subasavage, John P.

2014-01-01

Astrometric measurements are presented for seven nearby stars with previously detected planets: six M dwarfs (GJ 317, GJ 667C, GJ 581, GJ 849, GJ 876, and GJ 1214) and one K dwarf (BD-10 -3166). Measurements are also presented for six additional nearby M dwarfs without known planets, but which are more favorable to astrometric detections of low mass companions, as well as three binary systems for which we provide astrometric orbit solutions. Observations have baselines of 3 to 13 years, and were made as part of the RECONS long-term astrometry and photometry program at the CTIO/SMARTS 0.9 m telescope. We provide trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions for all 16 systems, and perform an extensive analysis of the astrometric residuals to determine the minimum detectable companion mass for the 12 M dwarfs not having close stellar secondaries. For the six M dwarfs with known planets, we are not sensitive to planets, but can rule out the presence of all but the least massive brown dwarfs at periods of 2–12 years. For the six more astrometrically favorable M dwarfs, we conclude that none have brown dwarf companions, and are sensitive to companions with masses as low as 1 M Jup for periods longer than two years. In particular, we conclude that Proxima Centauri has no Jovian companions at orbital periods of 2–12 years. These results complement previously published M dwarf planet occurrence rates by providing astrometrically determined upper mass limits on potential super-Jupiter companions at orbits of two years and longer. As part of a continuing survey, these results are consistent with the paucity of super-Jupiter and brown dwarf companions we find among the over 250 red dwarfs within 25 pc observed longer than five years in our astrometric program.

The solar neighborhood. XXXIV. A search for planets orbiting nearby M dwarfs using astrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lurie, John C. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Henry, Todd J.; Ianna, Philip A. [RECONS Institute, Chambersburg, PA 17201 (United States); Jao, Wei-Chun; Quinn, Samuel N.; Winters, Jennifer G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302 (United States); Koerner, David W. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 (United States); Riedel, Adric R. [Department of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10034 (United States); Subasavage, John P., E-mail: lurie@uw.edu [United States Naval Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States)

2014-11-01

Astrometric measurements are presented for seven nearby stars with previously detected planets: six M dwarfs (GJ 317, GJ 667C, GJ 581, GJ 849, GJ 876, and GJ 1214) and one K dwarf (BD-10 -3166). Measurements are also presented for six additional nearby M dwarfs without known planets, but which are more favorable to astrometric detections of low mass companions, as well as three binary systems for which we provide astrometric orbit solutions. Observations have baselines of 3 to 13 years, and were made as part of the RECONS long-term astrometry and photometry program at the CTIO/SMARTS 0.9 m telescope. We provide trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions for all 16 systems, and perform an extensive analysis of the astrometric residuals to determine the minimum detectable companion mass for the 12 M dwarfs not having close stellar secondaries. For the six M dwarfs with known planets, we are not sensitive to planets, but can rule out the presence of all but the least massive brown dwarfs at periods of 2–12 years. For the six more astrometrically favorable M dwarfs, we conclude that none have brown dwarf companions, and are sensitive to companions with masses as low as 1 M{sub Jup} for periods longer than two years. In particular, we conclude that Proxima Centauri has no Jovian companions at orbital periods of 2–12 years. These results complement previously published M dwarf planet occurrence rates by providing astrometrically determined upper mass limits on potential super-Jupiter companions at orbits of two years and longer. As part of a continuing survey, these results are consistent with the paucity of super-Jupiter and brown dwarf companions we find among the over 250 red dwarfs within 25 pc observed longer than five years in our astrometric program.

BINARY CEPHEIDS: SEPARATIONS AND MASS RATIOS IN 5 M ☉ BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, Nancy Remage; Karovska, Margarita; Tingle, Evan; Bond, Howard E.; Schaefer, Gail H.; Mason, Brian D.

2013-01-01

Deriving the distribution of binary parameters for a particular class of stars over the full range of orbital separations usually requires the combination of results from many different observing techniques (radial velocities, interferometry, astrometry, photometry, direct imaging), each with selection biases. However, Cepheids—cool, evolved stars of ∼5 M ☉ —are a special case because ultraviolet (UV) spectra will immediately reveal any companion star hotter than early type A, regardless of the orbital separation. We have used International Ultraviolet Explorer UV spectra of a complete sample of all 76 Cepheids brighter than V = 8 to create a list of all 18 Cepheids with companions more massive than 2.0 M ☉ . Orbital periods of many of these binaries are available from radial-velocity studies, or can be estimated for longer-period systems from detected velocity variability. In an imaging survey with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3, we resolved three of the companions (those of η Aql, S Nor, and V659 Cen), allowing us to make estimates of the periods out to the long-period end of the distribution. Combining these separations with orbital data in the literature, we derive an unbiased distribution of binary separations, orbital periods, and mass ratios. The distribution of orbital periods shows that the 5 M ☉ binaries have systematically shorter periods than do 1 M ☉ stars. Our data also suggest that the distribution of mass ratios depends on both binary separation and system multiplicity. The distribution of mass ratios as a function of orbital separation, however, does not depend on whether a system is a binary or a triple

New white dwarf and subdwarf stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12

OpenAIRE

Kepler, S. O.; Pelisoli, Ingrid; Koester, Detlev; Ourique, Gustavo; Romero, Alejandra Daniela; Reindl, Nicole; Kleinman, Scot J.; Eisenstein, Daniel J.; Valois, A. Dean M.; Amaral, Larissa A.

2015-01-01

We report the discovery of 6576 new spectroscopically confirmed white dwarf and subdwarf stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12. We obtain Teff, log g and mass for hydrogen atmospherewhite dwarf stars (DAs) and helium atmospherewhite dwarf stars (DBs), estimate the calcium/helium abundances for the white dwarf stars with metallic lines (DZs) and carbon/helium for carbon-dominated spectra (DQs). We found one central star of a planetary nebula, one ultracompact helium binary (AM ...

The effect of M dwarf starspot activity on low-mass planet

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barnes, J.R.; Jeffers, S.V.; Jones, H.R.A.

2011-01-01

In light of the growing interest in searching for low mass, rocky planets, we investigate the impact of starspots on radial velocity searches for earth-mass planets in orbit about M dwarf stars. Since new surveys targeting M dwarfs will likely be carried out at infrared wavelengths, a comparison

SLoWPoKES-II: 100,000 WIDE BINARIES IDENTIFIED IN SDSS WITHOUT PROPER MOTIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dhital, Saurav [Department of Physical Sciences, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 600 South Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114 (United States); West, Andrew A.; Schluns, Kyle J.; Massey, Angela P. [Department of Astronomy, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Stassun, Keivan G., E-mail: dhitals@erau.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, 6301 Stevenson Center, Nashville, TN, 37235 (United States)

2015-08-15

We present the Sloan Low-mass Wide Pairs of Kinematically Equivalent Stars (SLoWPoKES)-II catalog of low-mass visual binaries identified from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) by matching photometric distances. The candidate pairs are vetted by comparing the stellar information. The candidate pairs are vetted by comparing the stellar density at their respective Galactic positions to Monte Carlo realizations of a simulated Milky Way. In this way, we are able to identify large numbers of bona fide wide binaries without the need for proper motions. Here, 105,537 visual binaries with angular separations of ∼1–20″ were identified, each with a probability of chance alignment of ≤5%. This is the largest catalog of bona fide wide binaries to date, and it contains a diversity of systems—in mass, mass ratios, binary separations, metallicity, and evolutionary states—that should facilitate follow-up studies to characterize the properties of M dwarfs and white dwarfs. There is a subtle but definitive suggestion of multiple populations in the physical separation distribution, supporting earlier findings. We suggest that wide binaries are composed of multiple populations, most likely representing different formation modes. There are 141 M7 or later wide binary candidates, representing a seven-fold increase over the number currently known. These binaries are too wide to have been formed via the ejection mechanism. Finally, we found that 6% of spectroscopically confirmed M dwarfs are not included in the SDSS STAR catalog; they are misclassified as extended sources due to the presence of a nearby or partially resolved companion. The SLoWPoKES-II catalog is publicly available to the entire community on the World Wide Web via the Filtergraph data visualization portal.

Features of the mass transfer in magnetic cataclysmic variables with fast-rotating white dwarfs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isakova Polina

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The flow structure in magnetic cataclysmic variables was investigated taking into account the effects of strong magnetic field and fast rotation of the white dwarf. We modeled the AE Aqr system as a unique object that has the rotation period of the white dwarf is about 1000 times shorter than the orbital period of the binary system. Observations show that in spite of fast rotation of the white dwarf some part of the stream from the inner Lagrange point comes into the Roche lobe region. We analyzed possible mechanisms preventing material to outflow from the system.

A simulation of the laser interferometer space antenna data stream from galactic white dwarf binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benacquista, M J; DeGoes, J; Lunder, D

2004-01-01

Gravitational radiation from the galactic population of white dwarf binaries is expected to produce a background signal in the laser interferometer space antenna (LISA) frequency band. At frequencies below 1 mHz, this signal is expected to be confusion limited and has been approximated as Gaussian noise. At frequencies above about 5 mHz, the signal will consist of separable individual sources. We have produced a simulation of the LISA data stream from a population of 90k galactic binaries in the frequency range between 1 and 5 mHz. This signal is compared with the simulated signal from globular cluster populations of binaries. Notable features of the simulation as well as potential data analysis schemes for extracting information are presented

White dwarfs in the WTS: Eclipsing binaries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burleigh M.R.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available We have identified photometric white dwarf candidates in the WFCAM transit survey through a reduced proper motion versus colour approach. Box-fitting with parameters adjusted to detect the unique signature of a white dwarf + planet/brown dwarf transit/eclipse event was performed, as well as looking for variability due to the irradiation of the companions atmosphere by the white dwarf's high UV flux. We have also performed a simple sensitivity analysis in order to assess the ability of the survey to detect companions to white dwarfs via the transit method.

The Shortest Period sdB Plus White Dwarf Binary CD-30 11223 (GALEX J1411-3053)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vennes, Stephane; Kawka, Adela; O'Toole, S.J.; Németh, Péter; Burton, T.

2012-01-01

Roč. 759, č. 1 (2012), L25/1-L25/5 ISSN 2041-8205 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP209/10/0967 Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : close binaries * white dwarf s Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 6.345, year: 2012

Black holes and neutron stars: evolution of binary systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraft, R.P.

1975-01-01

Evidence for the existence of neutron stars and black holes in binary systems has been reviewed, and the following summarizes the current situation: (1) No statistically significant case has been made for the proposition that black holes and/or neutron stars contribute to the population of unseen companions of ordinary spectroscopic binaries; (2) Plausible evolutionary scenarios can be advanced that place compact X-ray sources into context as descendants of several common types of mass-exchange binaries. The collapse object may be a black hole, a neutron star, or a white dwarf, depending mostly on the mass of the original primary; (3) The rotating neutron star model for the pulsating X-ray sources Her X-1 and Cen X-3 is the simplest interpretation of these objects, but the idea that the pulsations result from the non-radial oscillations of a white dwarf cannot be altogether dismissed. The latter is particularly attractive in the case of Her X-1 because the total mass of the system is small; (4) The black hole picture for Cyg X-1 represents the simplest model that can presently be put forward to explain the observations. This does not insure its correctness, however. The picture depends on a long chain of inferences, some of which are by no means unassailable. (Auth.)

THE EATING HABITS OF MILKY WAY-MASS HALOS: DESTROYED DWARF SATELLITES AND THE METALLICITY DISTRIBUTION OF ACCRETED STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deason, Alis J.; Mao, Yao-Yuan; Wechsler, Risa H.

2016-01-01

We study the mass spectrum of destroyed dwarfs that contribute to the accreted stellar mass of Milky Way (MW)-mass (M vir  ∼ 10 12.1 M ⊙ ) halos using a suite of 45 zoom-in dissipationless simulations. Empirical models are employed to relate (peak) subhalo mass to dwarf stellar mass, and we use constraints from z = 0 observations and hydrodynamical simulations to estimate the metallicity distribution of the accreted stellar material. The dominant contributors to the accreted stellar mass are relatively massive dwarfs with M star  ∼ 10 8 –10 10 M ⊙ . Halos with more quiescent accretion histories tend to have lower mass progenitors (10 8 –10 9 M ⊙ ), and lower overall accreted stellar masses. Ultra-faint mass (M star  < 10 5 M ⊙ ) dwarfs contribute a negligible amount (≪1%) to the accreted stellar mass and, despite having low average metallicities, supply a small fraction (∼2%–5%) of the very metal-poor stars with [Fe/H] < −2. Dwarfs with masses 10 5  < M star /M ⊙  < 10 8 provide a substantial amount of the very metal-poor stellar material (∼40%–80%), and even relatively metal-rich dwarfs with M star  > 10 8 M ⊙ can contribute a considerable fraction (∼20%–60%) of metal-poor stars if their metallicity distributions have significant metal-poor tails. Finally, we find that the generic assumption of a quiescent assembly history for the MW halo seems to be in tension with the mass spectrum of its surviving dwarfs. We suggest that the MW could be a “transient fossil”; a quiescent halo with a recent accretion event(s) that disguises the preceding formation history of the halo

SDSS J184037.78+642312.3: THE FIRST PULSATING EXTREMELY LOW MASS WHITE DWARF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hermes, J. J.; Montgomery, M. H.; Winget, D. E. [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Brown, Warren R.; Kenyon, Scott J. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Kilic, Mukremin, E-mail: jjhermes@astro.as.utexas.edu [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, 440 W. Brooks St., Norman, OK 73019 (United States)

2012-05-10

We report the discovery of the first pulsating extremely low mass (ELM) white dwarf (WD), SDSS J184037.78+642312.3 (hereafter J1840). This DA (hydrogen-atmosphere) WD is by far the coolest and the lowest-mass pulsating WD, with T{sub eff} = 9100 {+-} 170 K and log g = 6.22 {+-} 0.06, which corresponds to a mass of {approx}0.17 M{sub Sun }. This low-mass pulsating WD greatly extends the DAV (or ZZ Ceti) instability strip, effectively bridging the log g gap between WDs and main-sequence stars. We detect high-amplitude variability in J1840 on timescales exceeding 4000 s, with a non-sinusoidal pulse shape. Our observations also suggest that the variability is multi-periodic. The star is in a 4.6 hr binary with another compact object, most likely another WD. Future, more extensive time-series photometry of this ELM WD offers the first opportunity to probe the interior of a low-mass, presumably He-core WD using the tools of asteroseismology.

SDSS J184037.78+642312.3: THE FIRST PULSATING EXTREMELY LOW MASS WHITE DWARF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hermes, J. J.; Montgomery, M. H.; Winget, D. E.; Brown, Warren R.; Kenyon, Scott J.; Kilic, Mukremin

2012-01-01

We report the discovery of the first pulsating extremely low mass (ELM) white dwarf (WD), SDSS J184037.78+642312.3 (hereafter J1840). This DA (hydrogen-atmosphere) WD is by far the coolest and the lowest-mass pulsating WD, with T eff = 9100 ± 170 K and log g = 6.22 ± 0.06, which corresponds to a mass of ∼0.17 M ☉ . This low-mass pulsating WD greatly extends the DAV (or ZZ Ceti) instability strip, effectively bridging the log g gap between WDs and main-sequence stars. We detect high-amplitude variability in J1840 on timescales exceeding 4000 s, with a non-sinusoidal pulse shape. Our observations also suggest that the variability is multi-periodic. The star is in a 4.6 hr binary with another compact object, most likely another WD. Future, more extensive time-series photometry of this ELM WD offers the first opportunity to probe the interior of a low-mass, presumably He-core WD using the tools of asteroseismology.

2MASS J06562998+3002455: Not a Cool White Dwarf Candidate, but a Population II Halo Star

Science.gov (United States)

de la Fuente Marcos, Raúl; de la Fuente Marcos, Carlos

2018-06-01

2MASS J06562998+3002455 or PSS 309-6 is a high proper-motion star that was discovered during a survey with the 2.1 m telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Here, we reevaluate the status of this interesting star using Gaia DR2. Our results strongly suggest that PSS 309-6 could be a Population II star as the value of its V component is close to -220 km/s, which is typical for halo stars in the immediate solar neighborhood. Kapteyn's star is the nearest known halo star and PSS 309-6 exhibits similar kinematic and photometric signatures. Its properties also resemble those of 2MASS J15484023-3544254, which was once thought to be the nearest cool white dwarf but was later reclassified as K-type subdwarf. Although it is virtually certain that PSS 309-6 is not a nearby white dwarf but a more distant Population II subdwarf, further spectroscopic information, including radial velocity measurements, is necessary to fully characterize this probable member of the Galactic halo.

The closest M-dwarf quadruple system to the Sun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davison, Cassy L.; White, R. J.; Jao, W.-C.; Henry, T. J.; Quinn, S. N.; Cantrell, J. R.; Winters, J. G.; Bailey, J. I. III; Riedel, A. R.; Subasavage, J. P.; Crockett, C. J.

2014-01-01

We report new infrared radial velocity measurements obtained with CSHELL at NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility that reveal the M3.5 dwarf GJ 867B to be a single-lined spectroscopic binary with a period of 1.795 ± 0.017 days. Its velocity semi-amplitude of 21.4 ± 0.5 km s –1 corresponds to a minimum mass of 61 ± 7 M JUP ; the new companion, which we call GJ 867D, could be a brown dwarf. Stable astrometric measurements of GJ 867BD obtained with CTIO's 0.9 m telescope over the last decade exclude the presence of any massive planetary companions (7-18 M JUP ) with longer orbital periods (2-10 yr) for the majority of orientations. These complementary observations are also used to determine the trigonometric distance and proper motion of GJ 867BD; the measurements are consistent with the HIPPARCOS measured values of the M2 dwarf GJ 867AC, which is itself a 4.1 day double-lined spectroscopic binary at a projected separation of 24.''5 (216 AU) from GJ 867BD. These new measurements strengthen the case that GJ 867AC and GJ 867BD are physically associated, making the GJ 867 system one of only four quadruple systems within 10 pc of the Sun (d = 8.82 ± 0.08 pc) and the only among these with all M-dwarf (or cooler) components.

The white dwarf mass-radius relation with Gaia, Hubble and FUSE

Science.gov (United States)

Joyce, Simon R. G.; Barstow, Martin A.; Casewell, Sarah L.; Holberg, Jay B.; Bond, Howard E.

2018-04-01

White dwarfs are becoming useful tools for many areas of astronomy. They can be used as accurate chronometers over Gyr timescales. They are also clues to the history of star formation in our galaxy. Many of these studies require accurate estimates of the mass of the white dwarf. The theoretical mass-radius relation is often invoked to provide these mass estimates. While the theoretical mass-radius relation is well developed, observational tests of this relation show a much larger scatter in the results than expected. High precision observational tests to confirm this relation are required. Gaia is providing distance measurements which will remove one of the main source of uncertainty affecting most previous observations. We combine Gaia distances with spectra from the Hubble and FUSE satelites to make precise tests of the white dwarf mass-radius relation.

M Dwarf Rotation from the K2 Young Clusters to the Field. I. A Mass-Rotation Correlation at 10 Myr

Science.gov (United States)

Somers, Garrett; Stauffer, John; Rebull, Luisa; Cody, Ann Marie; Pinsonneault, Marc

2017-12-01

Recent observations of the low-mass (0.1-0.6 {M}⊙ ) rotation distributions of the Pleiades and Praesepe clusters have revealed a ubiquitous correlation between mass and rotation, such that late M dwarfs rotate an order-of-magnitude faster than early M dwarfs. In this paper, we demonstrate that this mass-rotation correlation is present in the 10 Myr Upper Scorpius association, as revealed by new K2 rotation measurements. Using rotational evolution models, we show that the low-mass rotation distribution of the 125 Myr Pleiades cluster can only be produced if it hosted an equally strong mass-rotation correlation at 10 Myr. This suggests that physical processes important in the early pre-main sequence (PMS; star formation, accretion, disk-locking) are primarily responsible for the M dwarf rotation morphology, and not quirks of later angular momentum (AM) evolution. Such early mass trends must be taken into account when constructing initial conditions for future studies of stellar rotation. Finally, we show that the average M star loses ˜25%-40% of its AM between 10 and 125 Myr, a figure accurately and generically predicted by modern solar-calibrated wind models. Their success rules out a lossless PMS and validates the extrapolation of magnetic wind laws designed for solar-type stars to the low-mass regime at early times.

Star formation history: Modeling of visual binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Gebrehiwot, Y. M.; Tessema, S. B.; Malkov, O. Yu.; Kovaleva, D. A.; Sytov, A. Yu.; Tutukov, A. V.

2018-05-01

Most stars form in binary or multiple systems. Their evolution is defined by masses of components, orbital separation and eccentricity. In order to understand star formation and evolutionary processes, it is vital to find distributions of physical parameters of binaries. We have carried out Monte Carlo simulations in which we simulate different pairing scenarios: random pairing, primary-constrained pairing, split-core pairing, and total and primary pairing in order to get distributions of binaries over physical parameters at birth. Next, for comparison with observations, we account for stellar evolution and selection effects. Brightness, radius, temperature, and other parameters of components are assigned or calculated according to approximate relations for stars in different evolutionary stages (main-sequence stars, red giants, white dwarfs, relativistic objects). Evolutionary stage is defined as a function of system age and component masses. We compare our results with the observed IMF, binarity rate, and binary mass-ratio distributions for field visual binaries to find initial distributions and pairing scenarios that produce observed distributions.

UNUSUALLY WIDE BINARIES: ARE THEY WIDE OR UNUSUAL?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraus, Adam L.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.

2009-01-01

We describe an astrometric and spectroscopic campaign to confirm the youth and association of a complete sample of candidate wide companions in Taurus and Upper Sco. Our survey found 15 new binary systems (three in Taurus and 12 in Upper Sco) with separations of 3''-30'' (500-5000 AU) among all of the known members with masses of 2.5-0.012 M sun . The total sample of 49 wide systems in these two regions conforms to only some expectations from field multiplicity surveys. Higher mass stars have a higher frequency of wide binary companions, and there is a marked paucity of wide binary systems near the substellar regime. However, the separation distribution appears to be log-flat, rather than declining as in the field, and the mass ratio distribution is more biased toward similar-mass companions than the initial mass function or the field G-dwarf distribution. The maximum separation also shows no evidence of a limit at ∼ sun . We attribute this result to the post-natal dynamical sculpting that occurs for most field systems; our binary systems will escape to the field intact, but most field stars are formed in denser clusters and undergo significant dynamical evolution. In summary, only wide binary systems with total masses ∼ sun appear to be 'unusually wide'.

Binary Cepheids: Separations and Mass Ratios in 5 M ⊙ Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Nancy Evans; Bond, Howard E.; Schaefer, Gail H.; Mason, Brian D.; Karovska, Margarita; Tingle, Evan

2013-10-01

Deriving the distribution of binary parameters for a particular class of stars over the full range of orbital separations usually requires the combination of results from many different observing techniques (radial velocities, interferometry, astrometry, photometry, direct imaging), each with selection biases. However, Cepheids—cool, evolved stars of ~5 M ⊙—are a special case because ultraviolet (UV) spectra will immediately reveal any companion star hotter than early type A, regardless of the orbital separation. We have used International Ultraviolet Explorer UV spectra of a complete sample of all 76 Cepheids brighter than V = 8 to create a list of all 18 Cepheids with companions more massive than 2.0 M ⊙. Orbital periods of many of these binaries are available from radial-velocity studies, or can be estimated for longer-period systems from detected velocity variability. In an imaging survey with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3, we resolved three of the companions (those of η Aql, S Nor, and V659 Cen), allowing us to make estimates of the periods out to the long-period end of the distribution. Combining these separations with orbital data in the literature, we derive an unbiased distribution of binary separations, orbital periods, and mass ratios. The distribution of orbital periods shows that the 5 M ⊙ binaries have systematically shorter periods than do 1 M ⊙ stars. Our data also suggest that the distribution of mass ratios depends on both binary separation and system multiplicity. The distribution of mass ratios as a function of orbital separation, however, does not depend on whether a system is a binary or a triple. Based in part on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained by the Space Telescope Science Institute. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

Non explosive collapse of white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canal, R.; Schatzmann, E.

1976-01-01

We show that if a sufficiently cold carbon-oxygen white dwarf, close to the critical mass, accretes matter from a companion in a binary system, the time scale of collapse is long enough to allow neutronization before the onset of pycnonuclear reactions. This can possibly lead to the formation of X-ray sources by a non explosive collapse. (orig.) [de

Simulations of isolated dwarf galaxies formed in dark matter halos with different mass assembly histories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González-Samaniego, A.; Avila-Reese, V.; Rodríguez-Puebla, A.; Valenzuela, O.; Colín, P.

2014-01-01

We present zoom-in N-body/hydrodynamics resimulations of dwarf galaxies formed in isolated cold dark matter (CDM) halos with the same virial mass (M v ≈ 2.5 × 10 10 M ☉ ) at redshift z = 0. Our goals are to (1) study the mass assembly histories (MAHs) of the halo, stellar, and gaseous components; and (2) explore the effects of the halo MAHs on the stellar/baryonic assembly of simulated dwarfs. Overall, the dwarfs are roughly consistent with observations. More specific results include: (1) the stellar-to-halo mass ratio remains roughly constant since z ∼ 1, i.e., the stellar MAHs closely follow halo MAHs. (2) The evolution of the galaxy gas fractions, f g , are episodic, showing that the supernova-driven outflows play an important role in regulating f g —and hence, the star formation rate (SFR)—however, in most cases, a large fraction of the gas is ejected from the halo. (3) The star formation histories are episodic with changes in the SFRs, measured every 100 Myr, of factors of 2-10 on average. (4) Although the dwarfs formed in late assembled halos show more extended SF histories, their z = 0 specific SFRs are still below observations. (5) The inclusion of baryons most of the time reduces the virial mass by 10%-20% with respect to pure N-body simulations. Our results suggest that rather than increasing the strength of the supernova-driven outflows, processes that reduce the star formation efficiency could help to solve the potential issues faced by CDM-based simulations of dwarfs, such as low values of the specific SFR and high stellar masses.

Simulations of isolated dwarf galaxies formed in dark matter halos with different mass assembly histories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

González-Samaniego, A.; Avila-Reese, V.; Rodríguez-Puebla, A.; Valenzuela, O. [Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-264, 04510 México D. F. (Mexico); Colín, P. [Centro de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 72-3 (Xangari), Morelia, Michoacán 58089 (Mexico)

2014-04-10

We present zoom-in N-body/hydrodynamics resimulations of dwarf galaxies formed in isolated cold dark matter (CDM) halos with the same virial mass (M{sub v} ≈ 2.5 × 10{sup 10} M {sub ☉}) at redshift z = 0. Our goals are to (1) study the mass assembly histories (MAHs) of the halo, stellar, and gaseous components; and (2) explore the effects of the halo MAHs on the stellar/baryonic assembly of simulated dwarfs. Overall, the dwarfs are roughly consistent with observations. More specific results include: (1) the stellar-to-halo mass ratio remains roughly constant since z ∼ 1, i.e., the stellar MAHs closely follow halo MAHs. (2) The evolution of the galaxy gas fractions, f{sub g} , are episodic, showing that the supernova-driven outflows play an important role in regulating f{sub g} —and hence, the star formation rate (SFR)—however, in most cases, a large fraction of the gas is ejected from the halo. (3) The star formation histories are episodic with changes in the SFRs, measured every 100 Myr, of factors of 2-10 on average. (4) Although the dwarfs formed in late assembled halos show more extended SF histories, their z = 0 specific SFRs are still below observations. (5) The inclusion of baryons most of the time reduces the virial mass by 10%-20% with respect to pure N-body simulations. Our results suggest that rather than increasing the strength of the supernova-driven outflows, processes that reduce the star formation efficiency could help to solve the potential issues faced by CDM-based simulations of dwarfs, such as low values of the specific SFR and high stellar masses.

QCD matter in white dwarfs and supernova collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathews, Grant J.; Meixner, M.; Lan, N.Q.; Suh, I.-S.

2010-01-01

The search for astrophysical evidence for a transition to QCD matter is an important goal. Although much effort has gone into searching for neutron star candidates, here we describe the exploration of two other possible signatures. One is the search for strange dwarfs. Masses and radii for a large number of white dwarfs have been deduced from a combination of proper motion studies, Hipparcos parallax distances, effective temperatures, and binary or spectroscopic masses. Some stars appear to have radii which are significantly smaller than that expected for a standard electron-degenerate white-dwarf equation of state. We argue that there is marginal evidence for bimodality in the radius distribution. We show that the data exhibit several features consistent with the expected mass-radius relation of strange dwarfs. We identify eight nearby white dwarfs that are possible candidates for strange matter cores and suggest observational tests of this hypothesis. We also review the current status of core-collapse supernova research, and in particular, the effects on the explosion of a QCD phase transition in the proto-neutron-star core. We describe how a first order transition could enhance the explosion and lead to observable effects in the emergent neutrino light curve. (author)

New light on dark stars red dwarfs, low-mass stars, brown dwarfs

CERN Document Server

Reid, I Neill

2000-01-01

Perhaps the most common question that a child asks when he or she sees the night sky from a dark site for the first time is: 'How many stars are there?' This happens to be a question which has exercised the intellectual skills of many astronomers over the course of most of the last century, including, for the last two decades, one of the authors of this text. Until recently, the most accurate answer was 'We are not certain, but there is a good chance that almost all of them are M dwarfs. ' Within the last three years, results from new sky-surveys - particularly the first deep surveys at near­ infrared wavelengths - have provided a breakthrough in this subject, solidifying our census of the lowest-mass stars and identifying large numbers of the hitherto almost mythical substellar-mass brown dwarfs. These extremely low-luminosity objects are the central subjects of this book, and the subtitle should be interpreted accordingly. The expression 'low-mass stars' carries a wide range of meanings in the astronomical...

Surprisingly different star-spot distributions on the near equal-mass equal-rotation-rate stars in the M dwarf binary GJ 65 AB

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, J. R.; Jeffers, S. V.; Haswell, C. A.; Jones, H. R. A.; Shulyak, D.; Pavlenko, Ya. V.; Jenkins, J. S.

2017-10-01

We aim to understand how stellar parameters such as mass and rotation impact the distribution of star-spots on the stellar surface. To this purpose, we have used Doppler imaging to reconstruct the surface brightness distributions of three fully convective M dwarfs with similar rotation rates. We secured high cadence spectral time series observations of the 5.5 au separation binary GJ 65, comprising GJ 65A (M5.5V, Prot = 0.24 d) and GJ 65B (M6V, Prot = 0.23 d). We also present new observations of GJ 791.2A (M4.5V, Prot = 0.31 d). Observations of each star were made on two nights with UVES, covering a wavelength range from 0.64 - 1.03μm. The time series spectra reveal multiple line distortions that we interpret as cool star-spots and which are persistent on both nights suggesting stability on the time-scale of 3 d. Spots are recovered with resolutions down to 8.3° at the equator. The global spot distributions for GJ 791.2A are similar to observations made a year earlier. Similar high latitude and circumpolar spot structure is seen on GJ 791.2A and GJ 65A. However, they are surprisingly absent on GJ 65B, which instead reveals more extensive, larger, spots concentrated at intermediate latitudes. All three stars show small amplitude latitude-dependent rotation that is consistent with solid body rotation. We compare our measurements of differential rotation with previous Doppler imaging studies and discuss the results in the wider context of other observational estimates and recent theoretical predictions.

Star Formation in Dwarf-Dwarf Mergers: Fueling Hierarchical Assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Stierwalt, Sabrina; Johnson, K. E.; Kallivayalil, N.; Patton, D. R.; Putman, M. E.; Besla, G.; Geha, M. C.

2014-01-01

We present early results from the first systematic study a sample of isolated interacting dwarf pairs and the mechanisms governing their star formation. Low mass dwarf galaxies are ubiquitous in the local universe, yet the efficiency of gas removal and the enhancement of star formation in dwarfs via pre-processing (i.e. dwarf-dwarf interactions occurring before the accretion by a massive host) are currently unconstrained. Studies of Local Group dwarfs credit stochastic internal processes for their complicated star formation histories, but a few intriguing examples suggest interactions among dwarfs may produce enhanced star formation. We combine archival UV imaging from GALEX with deep optical broad- and narrow-band (Halpha) imaging taken with the pre- One Degree Imager (pODI) on the WIYN 3.5-m telescope and with the 2.3-m Bok telescope at Steward Observatory to confirm the presence of stellar bridges and tidal tails and to determine whether dwarf-dwarf interactions alone can trigger significant levels of star formation. We investigate star formation rates and global galaxy colors as a function of dwarf pair separation (i.e. the dwarf merger sequence) and dwarf-dwarf mass ratio. This project is a precursor to an ongoing effort to obtain high spatial resolution HI imaging to assess the importance of sequential triggering caused by dwarf-dwarf interactions and the subsequent affect on the more massive hosts that later accrete the low mass systems.

PLANETS AROUND LOW-MASS STARS (PALMS). II. A LOW-MASS COMPANION TO THE YOUNG M DWARF GJ 3629 SEPARATED BY 0.''2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowler, Brendan P.; Liu, Michael C. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai' i, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Shkolnik, Evgenya L. [Lowell Observatory, 1400 W. Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Tamura, Motohide, E-mail: bpbowler@ifa.hawaii.edu [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)

2012-09-01

We present the discovery of a 0.''2 companion to the young M dwarf GJ 3629 as part of our high-contrast adaptive optics imaging search for giant planets around low-mass stars with the Keck-II and Subaru telescopes. Two epochs of imaging confirm that the pair is comoving and reveal signs of orbital motion. The primary exhibits saturated X-ray emission which, together with its UV photometry from GALEX, points to an age younger than {approx}300 Myr. At these ages the companion lies below the hydrogen burning limit with a model-dependent mass of 46 {+-} 16 M{sub Jup} based on the system's photometric distance of 22 {+-} 3 pc. Resolved YJHK photometry of the pair indicates a spectral type of M7 {+-} 2 for GJ 3629 B. With a projected separation of 4.4 {+-} 0.6 AU and an estimated orbital period of 21 {+-} 5 yr, GJ 3629 AB is likely to yield a dynamical mass in the next several years, making it one of only a handful of brown dwarfs to have a measured mass and an age constrained from the stellar primary.

Double white dwarfs as progenitors of R coronae borealis stars and type I supernovae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webbink, R.F.

1984-01-01

Close double white dwarfs should arise from the second phase of mass exchagne in close binaries which first encountered mass exchange while the more massive star was crossing the Hertzprung gap. Tidal mass transfer in these double degenerate systems is explored. The sequence of double white dwarf divides naturally into three segments. (1) Low-mass helium/helium pairs are unstable to dynamical time-scale mass transfer and probably coalesce to form helium-burning sdO stars. (2) In helium/carbon-oxygen pairs, mass transfer occurs on the time scale for gravitational radiation losses (approx.10 -4 M/sub sun/ yr -1 ); the accreted helium is quickly ignited, and the accretor expands to dimensions characteristic of R CrB stars, engulfing its companion star. (3) Carbon-oxygen/carbon-oxygen pairs are again unstable to dynamical time-scale mass transfer and, since their total masses exceed the Chandrasekhar limit, are destined to become supernovae. Inactive lifetimes in these latter systems between creation and interaction can exceed 10 10 years. Birthrates of R CrB stars and Type I supernovae by evolution of double white dwarfs are in reasonable agreement with observational estimates

MICROLENSING BINARIES DISCOVERED THROUGH HIGH-MAGNIFICATION CHANNEL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, I.-G.; Choi, J.-Y.; Park, S.-Y.; Han, C. [Department of Physics, Institute for Astrophysics, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 371-763 (Korea, Republic of); Gould, A.; Gaudi, B. S. [Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, 140 W. 18th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Sumi, T. [Department of Earth and Space Science, Osaka University, Osaka 560-0043 (Japan); Udalski, A. [Warsaw University Observatory, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warszawa (Poland); Beaulieu, J.-P. [Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, UMR7095 CNRS-Universite Pierre and Marie Curie, 98 bis Boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris (France); Dominik, M. [School of Physics and Astronomy, SUPA, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Allen, W. [Vintage Lane Observatory, Blenheim (New Zealand); Bos, M. [Molehill Astronomical Observatory, North Shore (New Zealand); Christie, G. W. [Auckland Observatory, P.O. Box 24-180, Auckland (New Zealand); Depoy, D. L. [Department of Physics, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX (United States); Dong, S. [Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Drummond, J. [Possum Observatory, Patutahi (New Zealand); Gal-Yam, A. [Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics, the Weizmann Institute (Israel); Hung, L.-W. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Janczak, J. [Department of Physics, Ohio State University, 191 W. Woodruff, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Kaspi, S. [School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel); Collaboration: muFUN Collaboration; MOA Collaboration; OGLE Collaboration; PLANET Collaboration; RoboNet Collaboration; MiNDSTEp Consortium; and others

2012-02-20

Microlensing can provide a useful tool to probe binary distributions down to low-mass limits of binary companions. In this paper, we analyze the light curves of eight binary-lensing events detected through the channel of high-magnification events during the seasons from 2007 to 2010. The perturbations, which are confined near the peak of the light curves, can be easily distinguished from the central perturbations caused by planets. However, the degeneracy between close and wide binary solutions cannot be resolved with a 3{sigma} confidence level for three events, implying that the degeneracy would be an important obstacle in studying binary distributions. The dependence of the degeneracy on the lensing parameters is consistent with a theoretical prediction that the degeneracy becomes severe as the binary separation and the mass ratio deviate from the values of resonant caustics. The measured mass ratio of the event OGLE-2008-BLG-510/MOA-2008-BLG-369 is q {approx} 0.1, making the companion of the lens a strong brown dwarf candidate.

A Neutron Star-White Dwarf Binary Model for Repeating Fast Radio Burst 121102

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Wei-Min; Dong, Yi-Ze; Liu, Tong; Ma, Renyi; Wang, Junfeng

2016-06-01

We propose a compact binary model for the fast radio burst (FRB) repeaters, where the system consists of a magnetic white dwarf (WD) and a neutron star (NS) with strong bipolar magnetic fields. When the WD fills its Roche lobe, mass transfer will occur from the WD to the NS through the inner Lagrange point. The accreted magnetized materials may trigger magnetic reconnection when they approach the NS surface, and therefore the electrons can be accelerated to an ultra-relativistic speed. In this scenario, the curvature radiation of the electrons moving along the NS magnetic field lines can account for the characteristic frequency and the timescale of an FRB. Owing to the conservation of angular momentum, the WD may be kicked away after a burst, and the next burst may appear when the system becomes semi-detached again through the gravitational radiation. By comparing our analyses with the observations, we show that such an intermittent Roche-lobe overflow mechanism can be responsible for the observed repeating behavior of FRB 121102.

A NEUTRON STAR–WHITE DWARF BINARY MODEL FOR REPEATING FAST RADIO BURST 121102

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Wei-Min; Dong, Yi-Ze; Liu, Tong; Ma, Renyi; Wang, Junfeng

2016-01-01

We propose a compact binary model for the fast radio burst (FRB) repeaters, where the system consists of a magnetic white dwarf (WD) and a neutron star (NS) with strong bipolar magnetic fields. When the WD fills its Roche lobe, mass transfer will occur from the WD to the NS through the inner Lagrange point. The accreted magnetized materials may trigger magnetic reconnection when they approach the NS surface, and therefore the electrons can be accelerated to an ultra-relativistic speed. In this scenario, the curvature radiation of the electrons moving along the NS magnetic field lines can account for the characteristic frequency and the timescale of an FRB. Owing to the conservation of angular momentum, the WD may be kicked away after a burst, and the next burst may appear when the system becomes semi-detached again through the gravitational radiation. By comparing our analyses with the observations, we show that such an intermittent Roche-lobe overflow mechanism can be responsible for the observed repeating behavior of FRB 121102.

A NEUTRON STAR–WHITE DWARF BINARY MODEL FOR REPEATING FAST RADIO BURST 121102

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu, Wei-Min; Dong, Yi-Ze; Liu, Tong; Ma, Renyi; Wang, Junfeng, E-mail: guwm@xmu.edu.cn [Department of Astronomy, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005 (China)

2016-06-01

We propose a compact binary model for the fast radio burst (FRB) repeaters, where the system consists of a magnetic white dwarf (WD) and a neutron star (NS) with strong bipolar magnetic fields. When the WD fills its Roche lobe, mass transfer will occur from the WD to the NS through the inner Lagrange point. The accreted magnetized materials may trigger magnetic reconnection when they approach the NS surface, and therefore the electrons can be accelerated to an ultra-relativistic speed. In this scenario, the curvature radiation of the electrons moving along the NS magnetic field lines can account for the characteristic frequency and the timescale of an FRB. Owing to the conservation of angular momentum, the WD may be kicked away after a burst, and the next burst may appear when the system becomes semi-detached again through the gravitational radiation. By comparing our analyses with the observations, we show that such an intermittent Roche-lobe overflow mechanism can be responsible for the observed repeating behavior of FRB 121102.

The atomic and molecular content of disks around very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pascucci, I. [Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Herczeg, G. [Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Carr, J. S. [Naval Research Laboratory, Code 7211, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Bruderer, S., E-mail: pascucci@lpl.arizona.edu [Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

2013-12-20

There is growing observational evidence that disk evolution is stellar-mass-dependent. Here, we show that these dependencies extend to the atomic and molecular content of disk atmospheres. We analyze a unique dataset of high-resolution Spitzer/IRS spectra from eight very low mass star and brown dwarf disks. We report the first detections of Ne{sup +}, H{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, and tentative detections of H{sub 2}O toward these faint and low-mass disks. Two of our [Ne II] 12.81 μm emission lines likely trace the hot (≥5000 K) disk surface irradiated by X-ray photons from the central stellar/sub-stellar object. The H{sub 2} S(2) and S(1) fluxes are consistent with arising below the fully or partially ionized surface traced by the [Ne II] emission in gas at ∼600 K. We confirm the higher C{sub 2}H{sub 2}/HCN flux and column density ratio in brown dwarf disks previously noted from low-resolution IRS spectra. Our high-resolution spectra also show that the HCN/H{sub 2}O fluxes of brown dwarf disks are on average higher than those of T Tauri disks. Our LTE modeling hints that this difference extends to column density ratios if H{sub 2}O lines trace warm ≥600 K disk gas. These trends suggest that the inner regions of brown dwarf disks have a lower O/C ratio than those of T Tauri disks, which may result from a more efficient formation of non-migrating icy planetesimals. An O/C = 1, as inferred from our analysis, would have profound implications on the bulk composition of rocky planets that can form around very low mass stars and brown dwarfs.