Author
S Wong
Bio: S Wong is an academic researcher from University of California, Santa Barbara. The author has contributed to research in topics: White dwarf & Population. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 2 citations.
Topics: White dwarf, Population, Orbital period
Papers
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California Institute of Technology1, Texas Tech University2, Tel Aviv University3, University of California, Santa Barbara4, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics5, University of Warwick6, University of Washington7, University of Sheffield8, Spanish National Research Council9, University of Minnesota10
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reported the discovery of five new eclipsing AM CVn systems with orbital periods of 61.5, 55.3, 37.4, and 35.4 minutes by searching for deep eclipses in the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) lightcurves of white dwarfs.
Abstract: AM CVn systems are ultra-compact, helium-rich, accreting binaries with degenerate or semi-degenerate donors. We report the discovery of five new eclipsing AM CVn systems with orbital periods of 61.5, 55.5, 53.3, 37.4, and 35.4 minutes. These systems were discovered by searching for deep eclipses in the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) lightcurves of white dwarfs selected using Gaia parallaxes. We obtained phase-resolved spectroscopy to confirm that all systems are AM CVn binaries, and we obtained high-speed photometry to confirm the eclipse and characterize the systems. The spectra of two long-period systems (61.5 and 53.3 minutes) show many emission and absorption lines, indicating the presence of N, O, Na, Mg, Si, and Ca, and also the K and Zn, elements which have never been detected in AM CVn systems before. By modelling the high-speed photometry, we measured the mass and radius of the donor star, potentially constraining the evolutionary channel that formed these AM CVn systems. We determined that the average mass of the accreting white dwarf is $\approx0.8$$\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$, and that the white dwarfs in long-period systems are hotter than predicted by recently updated theoretical models. The donors have a high entropy and are a factor of $\approx$ 2 more massive compared to zero-entropy donors at the same orbital period. The large donor radius is most consistent with He-star progenitors, although the observed spectral features seem to contradict this. The discovery of 5 new eclipsing AM~CVn systems is consistent with the known observed AM CVn space density and estimated ZTF recovery efficiency. Based on this estimate, we expect to find another 1--4 eclipsing AM CVn systems as ZTF continues to obtain data. This will further increase our understanding of the population, but will require high precision data to better characterize these 5 systems and any new discoveries.
14 citations
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TL;DR: HiPERCAM as mentioned in this paper is a portable, quintuple-beam optical imager that saw first light on the 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) in 2018.
Abstract: HiPERCAM is a portable, quintuple-beam optical imager that saw first light on the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) in 2018. The instrument uses re-imaging optics and four dichroic beamsplitters to record $u_{\rm s}\, g_{\rm s}\, r_{\rm s}\, i_{\rm s}\, z_{\rm s}$ (320–1060 nm) images simultaneously on its five CCD cameras, each of 3.1-arcmin (diagonal) field of view. The detectors in HiPERCAM are frame-transfer devices cooled thermo-electrically to 183 K, thereby allowing both long-exposure, deep imaging of faint targets, as well as high-speed (over 1000 windowed frames per second) imaging of rapidly varying targets. A comparison-star pick-off system in the telescope focal plane increases the effective field of view to 6.7 arcmin for differential photometry. Combining HiPERCAM with the world's largest optical telescope enables the detection of astronomical sources to g
s ∼ 23 in 1 s and g
s ∼ 28 in 1 h. In this paper, we describe the scientific motivation behind HiPERCAM, present its design, report on its measured performance, and outline some planned enhancements.
23 citations
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TL;DR: In this article , the formation of double white dwarf (DWD) binaries is discussed and the possible formation scenarios of this binary and argue that it is not likely to have formed through CE evolution.
Abstract: Abstract Double white dwarf (DWD) binaries are important for studies of common-envelope (CE) evolution, Type Ia supernova progenitors and Galactic sources of low-frequency gravitational waves. PTF J0533+0209 is a DWD system with a short orbital period of P orb ∼ 20 minutes and thus a so-called LISA verification source. The formation of this system and other DWDs is still under debate. In this paper, we discuss the possible formation scenarios of this binary and argue that it is not likely to have formed through CE evolution. Applying a new magnetic-braking prescription, we use the MESA code to model the formation of this system through stable mass transfer. We find a model that can well reproduce the observed WD masses and orbital period but not the effective temperature and hydrogen abundance of the low-mass He WD component. We discuss the possibility of using H flashes to mitigate this discrepancy. Finally, we discuss the future evolution of this system into an AM CVn binary such as those that will be detected by spaceborne GW observatories like LISA, TianQin, and Taiji.
4 citations
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TL;DR: In this article , the results of a search for deeply-eclipsing white dwarfs in the ZTF Data Release 4.5 were presented, and the authors identified nine deeply eclipsing white dwarf candidates, four of which were followed up with high-cadence photometry and spectroscopy.
Abstract: We present the results of a search for deeply-eclipsing white dwarfs in the ZTF Data Release 4. We identify nine deeply-eclipsing white dwarf candidates, four of which we followed up with high-cadence photometry and spectroscopy. Three of these systems show total eclipses in the ZTF data and our follow-up APO 3.5-meter telescope observations. Even though the eclipse duration is consistent with sub-stellar companions, our analysis shows that all four systems contain a white dwarf with low-mass stellar companions of ∼ 0 . 1 𝑀 (cid:12) . We provide mass and radius constraints for both stars in each system based on our photometric and spectroscopic fitting. Finally, we present a list of 41 additional eclipsing WD+M candidates identified in a preliminary search of ZTF DR7, including 12 previously studied systems. We identify two new candidate short-period, eclipsing, white dwarf-brown dwarf binaries within our sample of 41 WD+M candidates based on PanSTARRS colors.
4 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper , the authors have modeled the evolution of double white dwarf (WD) binaries with accretor masses of 0.50 −1.30 M and donor masses of 1.17 −0.45 M using the detailed stellar evolution code mesa.
Abstract: The evolution and the stability of mass transfer of CO+He white dwarf (WD) binaries are not well understood. Observationally they may emerge as AM CVn binaries and are important gravitational wave (GW) emitters. In this work, we have modeled the evolution of double WD binaries with accretor masses of 0.50–1.30 M ⊙ and donor masses of 0.17–0.45 M ⊙ using the detailed stellar evolution code mesa. We find that the evolution of binaries with same donor masses but different accretor masses is very similar and binaries with same accretor masses but larger He donor masses have larger maximum mass transfer rates and smaller minimum orbital periods. We also demonstrate that the GW signal from AM CVn binaries can be detected by spaceborne GW observatories, such as LISA and TianQin. There is a linear relation between the donor mass and gravitational wave frequency during the mass transfer phase. In our calculation, all binaries can have dynamically stable mass transfer, which is very different from previous studies. The threshold donor mass of Eddington-limited mass transfer for a given accretor WD mass is lower than previous studies. Assuming that a binary may enter a common envelope if the mass transfer rate exceeds the maximum stable burning rate of He, we provide a new criterion for double WDs surviving mass transfer, which is below the threshold of the Eddington limit. Finally, we find that some systems with oxygen–neon (ONe) WDs in our calculation may evolve into detached binaries consisting of neutron stars and extremely low-mass He WDs, and further ultracompact X-ray binaries.
2 citations
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TL;DR: In this article , an ultracompact accreting white dwarf binary (AM CVn) with a period of approx. 58 min was used to study the behavior of outbursts in AM CVns.
Abstract: ASASSN-21au is an ultracompact accreting white dwarf binary (AM CVn) with a period of approx. 58 min. Using multiwavelength observations of the system, we discovered a dichotomy in the behavior of outbursts in AM CVns. The binary showed an initial brightness increase which lasted for at least 82 days, followed by an additional increase which lasted 2 weeks. Afterwards ASASSN-21au went into superoutburst with a total duration of 19 days, showing an amplitude with respect to quiescence of approx. 7.5 mags in g, with a precursor and an echo outburst. A correlation between X-rays, UV and optical was identified for the first time in an AM CVn during this stage. The color evolution of ASASSN-21au indicates that during the superoutburst the dominant component was the accretion disk. The short duration, large amplitude and color evolution of the superoutburst agree with expectations from the disk instability model. These characteristics are opposite to the ones observed in SDSS J080710+485259 and SDSS J113732+405458, which have periods of approx. 53 min and 60 min, respectively. The initially slow brightness increase in the light curve of ASASSN-21au and the behavior after the superoutburst favors a scenario in which changes in the mass-transfer rate led to disk instabilities, while the outburst mechanism of SDSS J080710+485259 and SDSS J113732+405458 has been attributed to enhanced mass-transfer alone. Further observations are needed to understand the origin of this dichotomy.
2 citations