Spectropolarimetric observations of cool DQ white dwarfs
Abstract
Aims: Following our recent discovery of a new magnetic DQ white dwarf (WD) with CH molecular features, we report the results for the rest of the DQ WDs from our survey.
Methods: We use high signal-to-noise spectropolarimetric data to search for magnetic fields in a sample of 11 objects.
Results: One object in our sample, WD1235+422, shows the signs of continuum circular polarization that is similar to some peculiar DQs with unidentified molecular absorption bands, but the low signal-to-noise ratio and spectral resolution of these data make more observations necessary to reveal the true nature of this object.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- September 2013
- DOI:
- 10.1051/0004-6361/201220619
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1308.4505
- Bibcode:
- 2013A&A...557A..38V
- Keywords:
-
- molecular processes;
- white dwarfs;
- magnetic fields;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 4 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy &