Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userThe Mass of the White Dwarf Companion in the Self-Lensing Binary KOI-3278: Einstein vs. Newton
63
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
KOI-3278 is a self-lensing stellar binary consisting of a white-dwarf secondary orbiting a Sun-like primary star. Kruse and Agol (2014) noticed small periodic brightenings every 88.18 days in the Kepler photometry and interpreted these as the result of microlensing by a white dwarf with about 63$%$ of the mass of the Sun. We obtained two sets of spectra for the primary that allowed us to derive three sets of spectroscopic estimates for its effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity for the first time. We used these values to update the Kruse and Agol (2014) Einsteinian microlensing model, resulting in a revised mass for the white dwarf of $0.539^{+0.022}_{-0.020} , M_{odot}$. The spectra also allowed us to determine radial velocities and derive orbital solutions, with good agreement between the two independent data sets. An independent Newtonian dynamical MCMC model of the combined velocities yielded a mass for the white dwarf of $0.5122^{+0.0057}_{-0.0058} , M_{odot}$. The nominal uncertainty for the Newtonian mass is about four times better than for the Einsteinian, $pm 1.1%$ vs. $pm 4.1%$ and the difference between the two mass determinations is $5.2 %$. We then present a joint Einsteinian microlensing and Newtonian radial velocity model for KOI-3278, which yielded a mass for the white dwarf of $0.5250^{+0.0082}_{-0.0089} , M_{odot}$. This joint model does not rely on any white dwarf evolutionary models or assumptions on the white dwarf mass-radius relation. We discuss the benefits of a joint model of self-lensing binaries, and how future studies of these systems can provide insight into the mass-radius relation of white dwarfs.
rate research
Read More
We report the discovery of an extremely close, eclipsing binary system. A white dwarf is orbited by a core He-burning compact hot subdwarf star with a period as short as $simeq0.04987 {rm d}$ making this system the most compact hot subdwarf binary discovered so far. The subdwarf will start to transfer helium-rich material on short timescales of less than $50 {rm Myr}$. The ignition of He-burning at the surface may trigger carbon-burning in the core although the WD is less massive than the Chandrasekhar limit ($>0.74,M_{rm odot}$) making this binary a possible progenitor candidate for a supernova type Ia event.
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 Teff = 14400 +/- 1100 K, mass = 0.20 +/- 0.02 Msun, and radius = 0.103 +/- 0.004 Rsun, and an F-star companion of mass = 1.59 +/- 0.07 Msun 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 modelled 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 this type of system with this short of an short orbital period.
HIP96515A is a double-lined spectroscopic binary with a visual companion (HIP96515B) at 8.6 arcsec. It is included in the SACY catalog as a potential young star and classified as an eclipsing binary in the ASAS Catalog. We have analyzed spectroscopic and photometric observations of the triple system. The high-resolution optical spectrum of HIP96515A has been used to derive a mass ratio, M_2/M_1, close to 0.9, with the SB2 components showing spectral types of M1 and M2. The ASAS and Hipparcos light-curves of HIP96515A show periodic variations with P=2.3456 days, confirming that HIP96515A is an eclipsing binary with preliminary parameters of i=89, M_Aa=0.59+-0.03 Msun and M_Ab=0.54+-0.03 Msun, for the primary and secondary, respectively, at an estimated distance of 42+-3 pc. This is a new eclipsing binary with component masses below 0.6 Msun. Multi-epoch observations of HIP 96515 A&B show that the system is a common proper motion pair. The optical spectrum of HIP 96515B is consistent with a pure helium atmosphere (DB) white dwarf. We estimate a total age (main-sequence lifetime plus cooling age) of 400 Myr for the white dwarf. If HIP 96515 A&B are coeval, and assuming a common age of 400 Myr, the comparison of the masses of the eclipsing binary members with evolutionary tracks shows that they are underestimated by ~15% and ~10%, for the primary and secondary, respectively.
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; Kilic et al. 2007a,b). 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+4638s companion showed that it must be a compact object with a mass >= 0.28 M_sun (Kilic 2007b). 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+4638s 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.
Low-mass white dwarfs (LMWDs) are believed to be exclusive products of binary evolution, as the Universe is not yet old enough to produce them from single stars. Because of the strong tidal forces operating during the binary interaction phase, the remnant host systems observed today are expected to have negligible eccentricities. Here, we report on the first unambiguous identification of a LMWD in an eccentric (e=0.13) orbit with a millisecond pulsar, which directly contradicts this picture. We use our spectra and radio-timing solution (derived elsewhere) to infer the WD temperature T_eff = 8600 +/- 190 K) and 3D systemic velocity (179.5 kms). We also place model-independent constraints on the WD radius (R_WD = 0.024+/- 0.004/0.002 R_sun) and surface gravity (log g = 7.11 +/- 0.08/0.16 dex). The WD and kinematic properties are consistent with the expectations for low-mass X-ray binary evolution and disfavour a three-body formation channel. In the case of the high eccentricity being the result of a spontaneous phase transition, we infer a mass of 1.6 M_sun for the progenitor of the pulsar, which is too low for the quark-nova mechanism proposed by Jiang et al. (2015). Similarly, the scenario of Freire & Tauris (2014), in which a WD collapses onto a neutron star via an rotationally-delayed accretion-induced collapse, requires both a high-mass differentially rotating progenitor and a significant momentum kick at birth under our constraints. Contrarily, we find that eccentricity pumping via interaction with a transient circumbinary disk is consistent with all inferred properties. Finally, we report tentative evidence for pulsations which, if confirmed, would transform the star into an unprecedented laboratory for WD physics and stellar convection.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
