Bibcode
Kilic, M.; Brown, Warren R.; Gianninas, A.; Hermes, J. J.; Allende Prieto, C.; Kenyon, S. J.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, Volume 444, Issue 1, p.L1-L5
Advertised on:
10
2014
Citations
45
Refereed citations
40
Description
We report the discovery of a detached 20-min orbital period binary white
dwarf (WD). WD 0931+444 (SDSS J093506.93+441106.9) was previously
classified as a WD + M dwarf system based on its optical spectrum. Our
time-resolved optical spectroscopy observations obtained at the 8 m
Gemini and 6.5 m MMT reveal peak-to-peak radial velocity variations of
≈400 km s-1 every 20 min for the WD, but no velocity
variations for the M dwarf. In addition, high-speed photometry from the
McDonald 2.1 m telescope shows no evidence of variability nor evidence
of a reflection effect. An M dwarf companion is physically too large to
fit into a 20 min orbit. Thus, the orbital motion of the WD is almost
certainly due to an invisible WD companion. The M dwarf must be either
an unrelated background object or the tertiary component of a
hierarchical triple system. WD 0931+444 contains a pair of WDs, a 0.32
M⊙ primary and a ≥0.14 M⊙ secondary, at
a separation of ≥0.19 R⊙. After J0651+2844, WD
0931+444 becomes the second shortest period detached binary WD currently
known. The two WDs will lose angular momentum through gravitational wave
radiation and merge in ≤9 Myr. The log h ≃ -22 gravitational
wave strain from WD 0931+444 is strong enough to make it a verification
source for gravitational wave missions in the milli-Hertz frequency
range, e.g. the evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA),
bringing the total number of known eLISA verification sources to nine.
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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