EVIDENCE FOR GAS FROM A DISINTEGRATING EXTRASOLAR ASTEROID

Journal Article · Sun Jan 10 04:00:00 EST 2016 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/816/2/L22· OSTI ID:22518636

Xu, S. ^[1]; Jura, M.; Zuckerman, B. ^[2]

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1. European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany)
2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles CA 90095-1562 (United States)

We report high-resolution spectroscopic observations of WD 1145+017—a white dwarf that was recently found to be transitted by multiple asteroid-sized objects within its tidal radius. We discovered numerous circumstellar absorption lines with linewidths of ∼300 km s{sup −1} from Mg, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni, possibly from several gas streams produced by collisions among the actively disintegrating objects. The atmosphere of WD 1145+017 is polluted with 11 heavy elements, including O, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, V:, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni. Evidently, we are witnessing the active disintegration and subsequent accretion of an extrasolar asteroid.

• OSTI ID: 22518636
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Letters Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 816; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ABSORPTION
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
ALUMINIUM
ASTEROIDS
COLLISIONS
ELEMENT ABUNDANCE
IRON
LINE WIDTHS
MAGNESIUM
MANGANESE
OXYGEN
PLANETS
RESOLUTION
SILICON
STAR ACCRETION
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
WHITE DWARF STARS