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Constraining the physics of carbon crystallization through pulsations of a massive DAV BPM37093

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2016

Atsuko Nitta
Affiliation:
Gemini Observatory, Hilo, Hawaii, U.S.A. email: [email protected] Subaru Telescope, NOAJ, Hilo, Hawaii, U.S.A.
S. O. Kepler
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
André-Nicolas Chené
Affiliation:
Gemini Observatory, Hilo, Hawaii, U.S.A. email: [email protected]
D. Koester
Affiliation:
Universitat Kiel, Kiel, Germany
J. L. Provencal
Affiliation:
University of Delaware, Newark, DE, U.S.A.
S. J. Kleinmani
Affiliation:
Gemini Observatory, Hilo, Hawaii, U.S.A. email: [email protected]
D. J. Sullivan
Affiliation:
Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Paul Chote
Affiliation:
University of Warwick, Coventry, CV47ALU.K.
Ramotholo Sefako
Affiliation:
South African Astronomical Observatory, P.O.Box 9, Capetown, 7935, South Africa
Antonio Kanaan
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florinopolis, Brazil
Alejandra Romero
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Mariela Corti
Affiliation:
Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía (CCT-La Plata, CONICET), Villa Elisa, Argentina Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
Mukremin Kilic
Affiliation:
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, U.S.A.
M. H. Montgomery
Affiliation:
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, U.S.A.
D. E. Winget
Affiliation:
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, U.S.A.
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Abstract

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We are trying to reduce the largest uncertainties in using white dwarf stars as Galactic chronometers by understanding the details of carbon crystalliazation that currently result in a 1–2 Gyr uncertainty in the ages of the oldest white dwarf stars. We expect the coolest white dwarf stars to have crystallized interiors, but theory also predicts hotter white dwarf stars, if they are massive enough, will also have some core crystallization. BPM 37093 is the first discovered of only a handful of known massive white dwarf stars that are also pulsating DAV, or ZZ Ceti, variables. Our approach is to use the pulsations to constrain the core composition and amount of crystallization. Here we report our analysis of 4 hours of continuous time series spectroscopy of BPM 37093 with Gemini South combined with simultaneous time-series photometry from Mt. John (New Zealand), SAAO, PROMPT, and Complejo Astronomico El Leoncito (CASLEO, Argentina).

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2016 

References

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