Gaseous Material Orbiting the Polluted, Dusty White Dwarf HE 1349-2305
Abstract
We present new spectroscopic observations of the polluted, dusty, helium-dominated atmosphere white dwarf star HE 1349-2305. Optical spectroscopy reveals weak Ca II infrared triplet emission indicating that metallic gas debris orbits and is accreted by the white dwarf. Atmospheric abundances are measured for magnesium and silicon while upper limits for iron and oxygen are derived from the available optical spectroscopy. HE 1349-2305 is the first gas disk-hosting white dwarf star identified among previously known polluted white dwarfs. Further characterization of the parent body polluting this star will require ultraviolet spectroscopy.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- May 2012
- DOI:
- 10.1088/2041-8205/751/1/L4
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1204.1132
- Bibcode:
- 2012ApJ...751L...4M
- Keywords:
-
- circumstellar matter;
- planet-star interactions;
- stars: abundances;
- stars: individual: HE 1349–2305;
- white dwarfs;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 16 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters