The discovery of binary white dwarfs that will merge within 500 Myr

Autores
Kilic, M.; Brown, W.R.; Allende Prieto, C.; Kenyon, S.J.; Panei, Jorge Alejandro
Año de publicación
2010
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
We present radial velocity observations of four extremely low-mass (0.2 M⊙) white dwarfs (WDs). All four stars show peak-to-peak radial velocity variations of 540-710kms-1 with 1.0-5.9hr 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 500Myr. 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⊙; 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.
Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas
Materia
Ciencias Astronómicas
Stars: low-mass
White dwarfs
SDSS J082212.57+275307.4
SDSS J084910.13+044528.7
SDSS J105353.89+520031.0
SDSS J143633.29+501026.8
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Repositorio
SEDICI (UNLP)
Institución
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
OAI Identificador
oai:sedici.unlp.edu.ar:10915/82486

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oai_identifier_str oai:sedici.unlp.edu.ar:10915/82486
network_acronym_str SEDICI
repository_id_str 1329
network_name_str SEDICI (UNLP)
spelling The discovery of binary white dwarfs that will merge within 500 MyrKilic, M.Brown, W.R.Allende Prieto, C.Kenyon, S.J.Panei, Jorge AlejandroCiencias AstronómicasStars: low-massWhite dwarfsSDSS J082212.57+275307.4SDSS J084910.13+044528.7SDSS J105353.89+520031.0SDSS J143633.29+501026.8We present radial velocity observations of four extremely low-mass (0.2 M⊙) white dwarfs (WDs). All four stars show peak-to-peak radial velocity variations of 540-710kms-1 with 1.0-5.9hr 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 500Myr. 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⊙; 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.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas2010-05-14info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionArticulohttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdf122-130http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/82486enginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/0004637Xinfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1088/0004-637x/716/1/122info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)reponame:SEDICI (UNLP)instname:Universidad Nacional de La Platainstacron:UNLP2025-09-29T11:15:31Zoai:sedici.unlp.edu.ar:10915/82486Institucionalhttp://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/Universidad públicaNo correspondehttp://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/oai/snrdalira@sedici.unlp.edu.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:13292025-09-29 11:15:32.172SEDICI (UNLP) - Universidad Nacional de La Platafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The discovery of binary white dwarfs that will merge within 500 Myr
title The discovery of binary white dwarfs that will merge within 500 Myr
spellingShingle The discovery of binary white dwarfs that will merge within 500 Myr
Kilic, M.
Ciencias Astronómicas
Stars: low-mass
White dwarfs
SDSS J082212.57+275307.4
SDSS J084910.13+044528.7
SDSS J105353.89+520031.0
SDSS J143633.29+501026.8
title_short The discovery of binary white dwarfs that will merge within 500 Myr
title_full The discovery of binary white dwarfs that will merge within 500 Myr
title_fullStr The discovery of binary white dwarfs that will merge within 500 Myr
title_full_unstemmed The discovery of binary white dwarfs that will merge within 500 Myr
title_sort The discovery of binary white dwarfs that will merge within 500 Myr
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Kilic, M.
Brown, W.R.
Allende Prieto, C.
Kenyon, S.J.
Panei, Jorge Alejandro
author Kilic, M.
author_facet Kilic, M.
Brown, W.R.
Allende Prieto, C.
Kenyon, S.J.
Panei, Jorge Alejandro
author_role author
author2 Brown, W.R.
Allende Prieto, C.
Kenyon, S.J.
Panei, Jorge Alejandro
author2_role author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Ciencias Astronómicas
Stars: low-mass
White dwarfs
SDSS J082212.57+275307.4
SDSS J084910.13+044528.7
SDSS J105353.89+520031.0
SDSS J143633.29+501026.8
topic Ciencias Astronómicas
Stars: low-mass
White dwarfs
SDSS J082212.57+275307.4
SDSS J084910.13+044528.7
SDSS J105353.89+520031.0
SDSS J143633.29+501026.8
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv We present radial velocity observations of four extremely low-mass (0.2 M⊙) white dwarfs (WDs). All four stars show peak-to-peak radial velocity variations of 540-710kms-1 with 1.0-5.9hr 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 500Myr. 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⊙; 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.
Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas
description We present radial velocity observations of four extremely low-mass (0.2 M⊙) white dwarfs (WDs). All four stars show peak-to-peak radial velocity variations of 540-710kms-1 with 1.0-5.9hr 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 500Myr. 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⊙; 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.
publishDate 2010
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2010-05-14
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Articulo
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/82486
url http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/82486
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/0004637X
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1088/0004-637x/716/1/122
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
122-130
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:SEDICI (UNLP)
instname:Universidad Nacional de La Plata
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reponame_str SEDICI (UNLP)
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instname_str Universidad Nacional de La Plata
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repository.name.fl_str_mv SEDICI (UNLP) - Universidad Nacional de La Plata
repository.mail.fl_str_mv alira@sedici.unlp.edu.ar
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