Bibcode
Brown, Warren R.; Kilic, Mukremin; Allende-Prieto, C.; Gianninas, A.; Kenyon, Scott J.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 769, Issue 1, article id. 66, 11 pp. (2013).
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5
2013
Journal
Citations
101
Refereed citations
89
Description
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 <10 Gyr. Four have gsim0.9
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.
Based on observations obtained at the MMT Observatory, a joint facility
of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona.
Related projects
Chemical Abundances in Stars
Stellar spectroscopy allows us to determine the properties and chemical compositions of stars. From this information for stars of different ages in the Milky Way, it is possible to reconstruct the chemical evolution of the Galaxy, as well as the origin of the elements heavier than boron, created mainly in stellar interiors. It is also possible to
Carlos
Allende Prieto