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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 91 records · Page 5
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NASA NTRS1989

A variational approach to understanding white dwarf evolution

A variational approach is used to map out the effects that uncertainties in the theoretical model parameters have upon the derived ages near the observed cutoff in the white dwarf luminosity function. Two representative sequences are assessed, simulating a white dwarf with a 50/50 C/O mixture in the core and an outer helium layer and a white dwarf with a C/O convective overshooting profile. The differential effects that the variation of selected model input quantities has on the ages are reported, and it is concluded that internal theoretical uncertainties are small and getting smaller with time, and the results underscore the power of using the observed white dwarf luminosity function for studying the history of star formation in the Galaxy.

Wood, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

On the interpretation of the Exosat photometry of two hot DA white dwarfs

Exosat photometric observations of the hot DA white dwarfs GD 2 and EG 70 are presented and analyzed using model atmosphere and synthetic spectrum calculations. The numerical accuracy of the calculations and their impact on the reliability of the results are addressed. The optimum atmospheric parameters that explain the complete spectral coverage are derived. The consequences of these conjectures for the spectral evolution theory of white dwarf stars are considered.

Vennes, Stephane↗
NASA NTRS1993

Detection of a white dwarf companion to the Hyades stars HD 27483

We observed with IUE a white dwarf (WD) companion to the Hyades F6 V binary stars HD 27483. This system is known to be a close binary of two nearly equal stars with an orbital period of 3.05 days. Our IUE observations revealed the presence of a third star, a white dwarf with an effective temperature of 23,000 +/- 1000 K and a mass of approximately 0.6 solar mass. Its presence in the Hyades cluster with a known age permits me to derive the mass of its progenitor, which must have been about 2.3 solar masses. The presence of the white dwarf in a binary system opens the possibility that some of the envelope material, which was expelled by the WD progenitor, may have been collected by the F6 stars. We may thus be able to study abundance anomalies of the WD progenitor with known mass on the surface of the F6 companions.

Boehm-Vitense, Erika↗
NASA NTRS1990

Detection of trace helium in G104 - 27, a 26,000 K DA white dwarf

The detection of the He I 4471 A feature in the moderately hot DA white dwarf G104 - 27 places this star within the rather sparse class of DAB white dwarfs. It does not appear possible, on the basis of the present data, to distinguish between a stratified and a homogeneously mixed atmosphere. While a stratified structure would be natural for a DA white dwarf, G104 - 27 resides near the red edge of the DB gap, in a region where DA stars could transform into DB stars through convective mixing in the underlying He envelope and thereby destroy envelope stratification. Both atmospheres are consistent with the existing soft X-ray flux limit for this star.

Holberg, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Prospective EUV observations of hot DA white dwarfs with the EUV Explorer

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) will perform a high sensitivity EUV all-sky survey. A major category of sources which will be detected with the EUVE instruments consists of hot white dwarfs. Detailed preliminary studies of synthetic EUV observations of white dwarfs have been carried out using the predicted EUVE instrumental response functions. Using available information regarding space densities of white dwarfs and the distribution of neutral hydrogen in the interstellar medium, the numbers of DA white dwarfs which will be detectable in the different EUV bandpasses have been estimated.

Finley, David S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

EXOSAT observations of V471 Tauri - A 9.25 minute white dwarf pulsation and orbital phase dependent X-ray dips

New results obtained from a 28 hr continuous observation of V471 Tauri with the EXOSAT satellite are reported. The detection of soft X-ray fluxes from both the white dwarf and the K dwarf, the discovery of a 9.25 minute pulsation from the white dwarf, and the discovery of orbital phase-related soft X-ray dips are discussed. The dips may be correlated with the triangular Lagrangian points of the binary orbit. The X-ray flux from the white dwarf is consistent with thermal models for a white dwarf photosphere with T(eff) of about 35,000 K, log g = 8.0-8.5, and log N(H) = 18.65 + or - 0.2.

Jensen, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Discovery of a magnetic DA white dwarf

The spectrum of the white dwarf suspect, GD 90, is shown to contain broad Balmer lines with resolved Zeeman structure. All the observed features correspond to the calculated spectrum of hydrogen at 5 plus or minus 0.5 MG. A region of approximately 20% of the observed stellar disk must be subject to a reasonably uniform field of this strength. The sigma components of the Zeeman patterns in H beta and H gamma are found to be circularly polarized, indicating that the field has a component directed along the line of sight. There is evidence for an additional stronger and less homogeneous field, as would be expected if the dominant 5 -MG region were at the equator of a dipolar field.

Angel, J. R. P.↗
NASA NTRS1979

HD 149499 B - The hottest white dwarf

IUE spectra of the white dwarf component of HD 149499, discovered from the Skylab experiments S-019 UV survey, show prominent lines of He II. The star appears to be helium-rich with He/H not less than 1. The ultraviolet fluxes show the temperature to be within the range 70,000-100,000 K, with the most probable value near 85,000 K.

Wray, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The composition and structure of white dwarf atmospheres revealed by extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy

The ROentgen SATellite (ROSAT) and Extreme UltraViolet Explorer (EUVE) all-sky surveys have resulted in an important change in our understanding of the general composition of hydrogen-rich DA white dwarf atmospheres, with the photospheric opacity dominated by heavy elements rather than helium in the hottest stars (T > 40, 000 K). Most stars cooler than 40,000 K have more or less pure H atmospheres. However, one question, which has not been resolved, concerned the specific nature of the heavy elements and the role of helium in the hottest white dwarfs. One view of white dwarf evolution requires that H-rich DA stars form by gravitational settling of He from either DAO or He-rich central stars of planetary nebulae. In this case, the youngest (hottest) DA white dwarfs may still contain visible traces of He. Spectroscopic observations now available with EUVE provide a crucial test of these ideas. Analysis of data from the EUVE Guest Observer programme and EUVE public archive allows quantitative consideration of the sources of EUV opacity and places limits on the abundance of He which may be present.

Barstow, Martin A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Asteroseismology of White Dwarf Stars

The primary purpose of this investigation has been to study various aspects of multimode pulsations in variable white dwarfs. In particular, nonlinear interactions among pulsation modes in white dwarfs (and, to some extent, in other variable stars), analysis of recent observations where such interactions are important, and preliminary work on the effects of crystallization in cool white dwarfs are reported.

Hansen, Carl J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Skylab ultraviolet stellar spectra - A new white dwarf, HD 149499 B

The letter reports the discovery of a cool star with excess brightness in the vacuum ultraviolet on an objective-prism photograph obtained during the second Skylab mission. This star, HD 149499, is of type K0 V and has a companion with an apparent magnitude of about 11.8; the relatively flat UV spectrum observed at the position of HD 149499 is characteristic of a 10th or 11th magnitude unreddened O- or early B-type star. It is shown that the excess VUV brightness is due to the companion, HD 149499B, which probably lies in the region of the H-R diagram occupied by the hot white dwarfs. Inspection of white dwarf lists indicates that this star is the sixth or seventh brightest white dwarf known. A maximum orbital motion of 0.025 arcsec/yr is estimated along with a period of just under 500 yr.

Parsons, S. B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

White dwarfs in cataclysmic variables - Low state IUE observations of V794 Aquilae, MR Serpentis, and AN Ursae Majoris

IUE low-dispersion observations of one novalike system (V794 Aql) and two AM Her systems (MR Ser and AN UMa) during low or intermediate-low accretion-rate states are reported. The decreased UV emission during these times was used to place limits on the white dwarf temperatures. When these results are added to the existing data on white dwarf temperatures, it appears that the white dwarfs in systems with normal high accretion rates and only occasional low-accretion-rate states remain hotter than the white dwarfs in systems with low average accretion rates.

Szkody, Paula↗
NASA NTRS1992

Detection of a white dwarf in a visual binary system

The F6 giant HD 160365 was detected to have a white dwarf companion about 8 arcsec south of the star. The UV energy distribution observed with IUE shows that the white dwarf has an effective temperature of 23,000 +/- 2000 K. If log g = 8 the Lya profile indicates an effective temperature around 24,500 K. Using the theoretical models by Wesemael et al. (1980) one finds a visual magnitude of m(V) about 16.5. For T(eff) = 24,500 K one expects for a white dwarf a luminosity of log L/L(solar) about 1.3 and M(V) about 10.67. This gives a distance modulus for the system of m(V) - M(V) = 5.83 and an absolute magnitude M(V)= 0.3 for the giant.

Boehm-Vitense, Erika↗
NASA NTRS1992

The constitution of the atmospheric layers and the extreme ultraviolet spectrum of hot hydrogen-rich white dwarfs

An analysis is presented of the atmospheric properties of hot, H-rich, DA white dwarfs that is based on optical, UV, and X-ray observations aimed at predicting detailed spectral properties of these stars in the range 80-800 A. The divergences between observations from a sample of 15 hot DA white dwarfs emitting in the EUV/soft X-ray range and pure H synthetic spectra calculated from a grid of model atmospheres characterized by Teff and g are examined. Seven out of 15 DA stars are found to consistently exhibit pure hydrogen atmospheres, the remaining seven stars showing inconsistency between FUV and EUV/soft X-ray data that can be explained by the presence of trace EUV/soft X-ray absorbers. Synthetic data are computed assuming two other possible chemical structures: photospheric traces of radiatively levitated heavy elements and a stratified hydrogen/helium distribution. Predictions about forthcoming medium-resolution observations of the EUV spectrum of selected hot H-rich white dwarfs are made.

Vennes, Stephane↗
NASA NTRS1992

A burst from a thermonuclear runaway on an ONeMg white dwarf

Studies which examine the consequences of accretion, at rates of 10(exp -9) solar mass/yr and 10(exp -10) solar mass/yr, onto an ONeMg white dwarf with a mass of 1.35 solar masses are performed. In these studies, a Lagrangian, hydrodynamic, one-dimensional computer code was used. The code now includes a network with 89 nuclei up to Ca-40, elemental diffusion, new opacities, and new equation of state. The initial abundance distribution corresponded to a mixture that was enriched to either 25, 50, or 75 percent in products of carbon burning. The remaining material in each case is assumed to have a solar composition. The evolution of the thermonuclear runaway in the 1.35 solar mass white dwarf, with M = 10(exp -9) solar mass, produced peak temperatures in the shell source exceeding 300 million degrees. The sequence produced significant amounts of Na-22 from proton captures onto Ne-20 and significant amounts of Al-26 from proton captures on Mg-24. This sequence ejected 5.2 x 10(exp -6) solar mass moving with speeds from approximately 100 km/s to 2300 km/s. When the mass accretion rate was decreased to 10(exp -10) solar mass, the resulting thermonuclear runaway produced a shock that moved through the outer envelope of the white dwarf and raised the surface luminosity to L greater than 10(exp 7) solar luminosity and the effective temperature to values exceeding 10(exp 7) K. The interaction of the material expanding from off of the white dwarf with the accretion disk should produce a burst of gamma-rays.

Starrfield, S.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Detection of a white dwarf in a visual binary system

The F6 giant HD 160365 was detected to have a white dwarf companion about 8 arcsec south of the star. The UV energy distribution observed with International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) shows that the white dwarf has an effective temperature of 23,000 +/- 2,000 K. If log g = 8 the Ly(alpha) profile indicates an effective temperature around 24,500 K. Using the theoretical models, one finds a visual magnitude of m(sub v) is approximately 16.5. For T(sub eff) = 24,500 K one expects for a white dwarf a luminosity of log L/solar luminosity is approximately -1.3 and M(sub V) is approximately 10.67. This gives a distance modulus for the system of m(sub v) - M(sub V) = 5.83 and an absolute magnitude M(sub v) = 0.3 for the giant.

Boehm-Vitense, Erika↗
NASA NTRS1989

A compact planetary nebula around the hot white dwarf EGB 6/PG 0950 + 139

The remarkable central star (0950 + 139), a very hot DA/DAO white dwarf, of the planetary nebula EGB 6 is described. Follow-up observations relevant to the analyses of both the nebula and the stellar photosphere are presented. Three kinds of scenarios are discussed to account for the existence of this peculiar nebula, but none appears very promising. The first consideration is that the nebula was ejected from the white dwarf as a discret event. This hypothesis is heavily constrained by the nebular size, density, and expansion rate; by the low luminosity and radius of the star; and by the absence of evidence for variation in density-sensitive forbidden lines from 1978 to 1987. No plausible mechanism can cause the observed amount of mass to be lost directly from a white dwarf in a steady or sporadic wind, at outflow velocities orders of magnitude below the escape velocity. Final consideration is given to the possibility that the gas is lost from a close companion star, but there is no evidence that this is a close binary system.

Liebert, James↗
NASA NTRS1986

A Search for Metal Lines in the Spectra of DA White Dwarfs

A theoretical analysis was carried out in order to interpret the ultraviolet spectra of DB white dwarfs obtained earlier with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite. Here the results of the IUE ultraviolet spectroscopy combined with visual data and model atmospheres of DB white dwarfs are reported. In particular, a search for spectra lines due to the element carbon using the ultraviolet was made. In no case is there a positive detection of carbon and from these data, and upper limits for carbon by number relative to helium are derived in the range of C: He 10 to the minus 5 power to 10 to the minus 7 power for the 16 DB stars with ultraviolet spectra in the temperature range 11400 K T sub EFF less than 2300 K. The low carbon abundances found in the atmospheres of the DB stars agree well with the hypothesis that the atmospheric carbon observed in the cooler DQ members of the helium-rich white dwarf sequence is produced by a convective dredging mechanism.

Wegner, G. A.↗