English

A White Dwarf with Transiting Circumstellar Material Far Outside the Roche Limit

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2020-07-22 v2 Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Abstract

We report the discovery of a white dwarf exhibiting deep, irregularly shaped transits, indicative of circumstellar planetary debris. Using Zwicky Transient Facility DR2 photometry of ZTF\,J013906.17+524536.89 and follow-up observations from the Las Cumbres Observatory, we identify multiple transit events that recur every 107.2{\approx}\,107.2\,d, much longer than the 4.54.94.5{-}4.9\,h orbital periods observed in WD\,1145+017, the only other white dwarf known with transiting planetary debris. The transits vary in both depth and duration, lasting 152515{-}25\,d and reaching 2045%20{-}45\,\% dips in flux. Optical spectra reveal strong Balmer lines, identifying the white dwarf as a DA with Teff=10,530±140KT_{\mathrm{eff}}=10{,}530\pm140\,\mathrm{K} and log(g)=7.86±0.06\log(g)=7.86\pm0.06. A CaIIK\mathrm{Ca\,II\,K} absorption feature is present in all spectra both in and out of transit. Spectra obtained during one night at roughly 15%15\,\% transit depth show increased CaIIK\mathrm{Ca\,II\,K} absorption with a model atmospheric fit suggesting [Ca/H]=4.6±0.3[\mathrm{Ca/H}]=-4.6\pm0.3, whereas spectra taken on three nights out of transit have [Ca/H][\mathrm{Ca/H}] of -5.5, -5.3, and -4.9 with similar uncertainties. While the CaIIK\mathrm{Ca\,II\,K} line strength varies by only 2-sigma, we consider a predominantly interstellar origin for Ca absorption unlikely. We suggest a larger column density of circumstellar metallic gas along the line of site or increased accretion of material onto the white dwarf's surface are responsible for the Ca absorption, but further spectroscopic studies are required. In addition, high-speed time series photometry out of transit reveals variability with periods of 900 and 1030\,s, consistent with ZZ Ceti pulsations.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1908.09839,
  title  = {A White Dwarf with Transiting Circumstellar Material Far Outside the Roche Limit},
  author = {Z. Vanderbosch and J. J. Hermes and E. Dennihy and B. H. Dunlap and P. Izquierdo and P. E. Tremblay and P. B. Cho and B. T. Gaensicke and O. Toloza and K. J. Bell and M. H. Montgomery and D. E. Winget},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1908.09839},
  year   = {2020}
}

Comments

Submitted to ApJ, Accepted May 26, 2020. 5 Figures, 1 Table

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