Bibcode
Kilic, Mukremin; Brown, Warren R.; Hermes, J. J.; Allende-Prieto, C.; Kenyon, S. J.; Winget, D. E.; Winget, K. I.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, Volume 418, Issue 1, pp. L157-L161.
Advertised on:
11
2011
Citations
26
Refereed citations
25
Description
We report the discovery of a new detached, double white dwarf (WD)
system with an orbital period of 39.8 min. We targeted SDSS
J163030.58+423305.8 (hereafter J1630) as part of our radial velocity
programme to search for companions around low-mass WDs using the 6.5-m
MMT. We detect peak-to-peak radial velocity variations of 576 km
s-1. The mass function and optical photometry rule out
main-sequence companions. In addition, no millisecond pulsar companions
are detected in radio observations. Thus the invisible companion is most
likely another WD. Unlike the other 39-min binary SDSS
J010657.39-100003.3, follow-up high-speed photometric observations of
J1630 obtained at the McDonald 2.1-m telescope do not show significant
ellipsoidal variations, indicating a higher primary mass and smaller
radius. The absence of eclipses constrain the inclination angle to i≤
82°. J1630 contains a pair of WDs, 0.3 M&sun; primary
+≥0.3 M&sun; invisible secondary, at a separation of
≥0.32 R&sun;. The two WDs will merge in less than 31 Myr.
Depending on the core composition of the companion, the merger will form
either a single core He-burning subdwarf star or a rapidly rotating
massive WD. The gravitational wave strain from J1630 is detectable by
instruments like the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) within
the first year of operation. Based on observations obtained at the MMT
Observatory, a joint facility of the Smithsonian Institution and the
University of Arizona.
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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