Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T05:17:57.339Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A New Instability Strip for Hot Degenerates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

Sumner G. Starrfield ,
Arthur N. Cox  and
Stephen W. Hodson
Sumner G. Starrfield
Affiliation:
Arizona State University
Arthur N. Cox
Affiliation:
Theoretical Division Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory
Stephen W. Hodson
Affiliation:
Theoretical Division Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A completely new kind of variable star has recently been discovered (McGraw, et. al. 1979). Designated as PG1159-035 (hereafter PG) this star is distinguished not only by the complete lack of hydrogen in its spectrum but also by an effective temperature that exceeds 8 × 104 K (McGraw, private communication). The photometric data show that this star is pulsating with two periods - 539 seconds and 460 seconds and the light curve is very reminiscent of that of a ZZ Ceti variable star (DA white dwarfs pulsating in non-radial modes). However, its spectral characteristics show that it cannot be included in this class since analysis of both optical and IUE spectra show that the major atmospheric constituents are probably helium and carbon and that its surface gravity is considerably lower than 108 cm sec−2 characteristic of a DA white dwarf. Its energy distribution suggests a small amount of reddening and since it is far out of the plane it must be at a distance at least 1 kpc. This estimate is supported by a null proper motion over a 13 year baseline (Luyten 1979, private communication to J Liebert). These data suggest that its luminosity exceeds 10 L⊙. In any case, it would need a luminosity as large as 10 L⊙ to fall on or above the white dwarf cooling curve at Te = 8 × 104 K (Lamb and Van Horn 1975). All of these facts suggest strongly that this star is unique and a new kind of pulsating variable.

Type
X. White Dwarf Pulsations
Information
International Astronomical Union Colloquium , Volume 58: Stellar Hydrodynamics , August 1980 , pp. 621 - 626
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1980

References

Castor, J. I. 1971, Ap. J. 166, p. 109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cox, A. N., Hodson, S. W., and Starrfield, S. G. 1979, Lecture Notes in Physics 125, Nonradial and Nonlinear Stellar Pulsation, eds. Hill, H. A. and Dziembowski, W. A., p. 458.Google Scholar
Huebner, W. F., Merts, A. L., Magee, N. H., and Argo, M. F. 1977, Los Alamos Report LA-6760-M.Google Scholar
Lamb, D. Q. and Van Horn, H. M. 1975, Ap. J. 200, p. 306.Google Scholar
McGraw, J. T., Starrfield, S. G., Liebert, J., and Green, R. 1979, Proc. IAU Colloq. 53, White Dwarfs and Variable Degenerate Stars, eds. Van Horn, H. M. and Weidemann, V., p. 377 Google Scholar
Reimers, D. 1975, Problems in Stellar Atmospheres and Envelopes, eds. Baschek, B., Kegel, W. H. , Traving, G., Berlin, p. 229.Google Scholar
Schönberner, D. 1979, Astron. Astrophys. 79, p. 108.Google Scholar
Starrfield, S. G., Cox, A. N., and Hodson, S. W. 1979, Proc. IAU Colloq. 53, White Dwarfs and Variable Degenerate Stars, eds. Van Horn, H. M. and Weidemann, V., p. 382.Google Scholar