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The closest extremely low-mass white dwarf to the Sun

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Authors
Kawka, Adela
Simpson, Jeffrey D
Vennes, Stephane
Bessell, Michael S
Da Costa, Gary S
Marino, Anna F
Murphy, Simon J
Date
2020
Type
Journal Article

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Kawka, A. and Simpson, J.D. and Vennes, S. and Bessell, M.S. and Da Costa, G.S. and Marino, A.F. and Murphy, S.J. 2020. The closest extremely low-mass white dwarf to the Sun. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters. 495 (1): pp. L129-L134.
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Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
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Faculty of Science and Engineering
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School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences (EECMS)
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This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, following peer review. The version of record Kawka, A. and Simpson, J.D. and Vennes, S. and Bessell, M.S. and Da Costa, G.S. and Marino, A.F. and Murphy, S.J. 2020. The closest extremely low-mass white dwarf to the Sun. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 495 (1): pp. L129-L134 is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slaa068.

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Abstract

We present the orbit and properties of 2MASS J050051.85-093054.9, establishing it as the closest (d ~ 71 pc) extremely low mass white dwarf to the Sun. We find that this star is hydrogen-rich with Teff ~ 10 500 K, log g ~ 5.9, and, following evolutionary models, has a mass of ~ 0.17 solar masses. Independent analysis of radial velocity and TESS photometric time series reveals an orbital period of ~ 9.5 h. Its high velocity amplitude (K ~ 144 km/s) produces a measurable Doppler beaming effect in the TESS light curve with an amplitude of 1 mmag. The unseen companion is most likely a faint white dwarf. J0500-0930 belongs to a class of post-common envelope systems that will most likely merge through unstable mass transfer and in specific circumstances lead to Type Ia supernova explosions.