skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: STRENGTHENING THE CASE FOR ASTEROIDAL ACCRETION: EVIDENCE FOR SUBTLE AND DIVERSE DISKS AT WHITE DWARFS

Abstract

Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC 3-8 {mu}m and AKARI IRC 2-4 {mu}m photometry are reported for 10 white dwarfs with photospheric heavy elements; nine relatively cool stars with photospheric calcium and one hotter star with a peculiar high carbon abundance. A substantial infrared excess is detected at HE 2221-1630, while modest excess emissions are identified at HE 0106-3253 and HE 0307+0746, implying these latter two stars have relatively narrow ({Delta}r < 0.1 R{sub sun}) rings of circumstellar dust. A likely 7.9 {mu}m excess is found at PG 1225-079 and may represent, together with G166-58, a sub-class of dust ring with a large inner hole. The existence of attenuated disks at white dwarfs substantiates the connection between their photospheric heavy elements and the accretion of disrupted minor planets, indicating many polluted white dwarfs may harbor orbiting dust, even those lacking an obvious infrared excess.

Authors:
 [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom)
  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21448837
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 714; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/714/2/1386; Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ABUNDANCE; ASTEROIDS; CALCIUM; CARBON; DUSTS; EMISSION; PHOTOMETRY; PLANETS; TELESCOPES; WHITE DWARF STARS; ALKALINE EARTH METALS; DWARF STARS; ELEMENTS; METALS; NONMETALS; STARS

Citation Formats

Farihi, J, Jura, M, Zuckerman, B, and Lee, J.-E., E-mail: jf123@star.le.ac.u, E-mail: jura@astro.ucla.ed, E-mail: ben@astro.ucla.ed, E-mail: jelee@sejong.ac.k. STRENGTHENING THE CASE FOR ASTEROIDAL ACCRETION: EVIDENCE FOR SUBTLE AND DIVERSE DISKS AT WHITE DWARFS. United States: N. p., 2010. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/714/2/1386.
Farihi, J, Jura, M, Zuckerman, B, & Lee, J.-E., E-mail: jf123@star.le.ac.u, E-mail: jura@astro.ucla.ed, E-mail: ben@astro.ucla.ed, E-mail: jelee@sejong.ac.k. STRENGTHENING THE CASE FOR ASTEROIDAL ACCRETION: EVIDENCE FOR SUBTLE AND DIVERSE DISKS AT WHITE DWARFS. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/714/2/1386
Farihi, J, Jura, M, Zuckerman, B, and Lee, J.-E., E-mail: jf123@star.le.ac.u, E-mail: jura@astro.ucla.ed, E-mail: ben@astro.ucla.ed, E-mail: jelee@sejong.ac.k. 2010. "STRENGTHENING THE CASE FOR ASTEROIDAL ACCRETION: EVIDENCE FOR SUBTLE AND DIVERSE DISKS AT WHITE DWARFS". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/714/2/1386.
@article{osti_21448837,
title = {STRENGTHENING THE CASE FOR ASTEROIDAL ACCRETION: EVIDENCE FOR SUBTLE AND DIVERSE DISKS AT WHITE DWARFS},
author = {Farihi, J and Jura, M and Zuckerman, B and Lee, J.-E., E-mail: jf123@star.le.ac.u, E-mail: jura@astro.ucla.ed, E-mail: ben@astro.ucla.ed, E-mail: jelee@sejong.ac.k},
abstractNote = {Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC 3-8 {mu}m and AKARI IRC 2-4 {mu}m photometry are reported for 10 white dwarfs with photospheric heavy elements; nine relatively cool stars with photospheric calcium and one hotter star with a peculiar high carbon abundance. A substantial infrared excess is detected at HE 2221-1630, while modest excess emissions are identified at HE 0106-3253 and HE 0307+0746, implying these latter two stars have relatively narrow ({Delta}r < 0.1 R{sub sun}) rings of circumstellar dust. A likely 7.9 {mu}m excess is found at PG 1225-079 and may represent, together with G166-58, a sub-class of dust ring with a large inner hole. The existence of attenuated disks at white dwarfs substantiates the connection between their photospheric heavy elements and the accretion of disrupted minor planets, indicating many polluted white dwarfs may harbor orbiting dust, even those lacking an obvious infrared excess.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/714/2/1386},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21448837}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 714,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 10 00:00:00 EDT 2010},
month = {Mon May 10 00:00:00 EDT 2010}
}