The Binary Double-Degenerate Nature of the Bright DAO White Dwarf Feige 55
Citations Over TimeTop 12% of 1995 papers
Abstract
Recent IUE and optical spectra of the bright DAO white dwarf Feige 55 reveal large Doppler shifts due to orbital motion. These Doppler shifts have a period of 1.49303 ± 0.00011 days with a semi-amplitude of 77.4 ± 7.0 km s-1. There is no strong photometric signature of any companion; J- and K-band photometry place an upper limit of 0.1 M☉ on the mass of any main sequence secondary. From the mass function, we derive a lower limit of 0.25 M☉ for the mass of the companion. We conclude that the unseen component is a cooler, less luminous, degenerate star. The binary nature of Feige 55 strongly suggests that the system is the product of common envelope evolution and that the lowest mass DAO stars studied by Bergeron et al. are also double-degenerates.
Related Papers
- → The white dwarf binary pathways survey - IX. Three long period white dwarf plus subgiant binaries(2022)19 cited
- → An Ultra-Massive Fast-Spinning White Dwarf in a Peculiar Post Common Envelope Binary System(2010)1 cited
- → Understanding white dwarf binary evolution with white dwarf/main sequence binaries: first results from SEGUE(2006)
- → Testing common envelopes on double white dwarf binaries(2015)
- → Understanding white dwarf binary evolution with white dwarf/main\n sequence binaries: first results from SEGUE(2006)