Hot C-rich white dwarfs: Testing the DB-DQ transition through pulsations

Context. Hot DQ white dwarfs are a new class of white dwarf stars that were discovered recently within the framework of the SDSS project. There are nine known hot DQ stars, out of a total of several thousands white dwarfs spectroscopically identified. Three hot DQ white dwarfs have been reported to...

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Autores principales: Córsico, Alejandro Hugo, Romero, Alejandra Daniela, Althaus, Leandro Gabriel, García Berro, E.
Formato: Articulo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2009
Materias:
Acceso en línea:http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/82790
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id I19-R120-10915-82790
record_format dspace
institution Universidad Nacional de La Plata
institution_str I-19
repository_str R-120
collection SEDICI (UNLP)
language Inglés
topic Ciencias Astronómicas
Stars: evolution
Stars: interiors
Stars: oscillations
White dwarfs
spellingShingle Ciencias Astronómicas
Stars: evolution
Stars: interiors
Stars: oscillations
White dwarfs
Córsico, Alejandro Hugo
Romero, Alejandra Daniela
Althaus, Leandro Gabriel
García Berro, E.
Hot C-rich white dwarfs: Testing the DB-DQ transition through pulsations
topic_facet Ciencias Astronómicas
Stars: evolution
Stars: interiors
Stars: oscillations
White dwarfs
description Context. Hot DQ white dwarfs are a new class of white dwarf stars that were discovered recently within the framework of the SDSS project. There are nine known hot DQ stars, out of a total of several thousands white dwarfs spectroscopically identified. Three hot DQ white dwarfs have been reported to exhibit photometric variability with periods compatible with pulsation g-modes. Aims. We present a nonadiabatic pulsation analysis of carbon-rich hot DQ white dwarf stars. One of our main aims is to test the convective-mixing scenario for the origin of hot DQs by studying their pulsational properties. Methods. Our pulsation study is based on the full evolutionary models of hot DQ white dwarfs developed by Althaus and collaborators, which consistently cover the entire evolution from the born-again stage to the white dwarf cooling track. Specifically, we present a stability analysis of white dwarf models from stages before the blue edge of the DBV instability strip (T<SUB>eff</SUB> ≈ 30 000 K), until the domain of the hot DQ white dwarfs (18 000-24 000 K), including the transition DBhot DQ white dwarf. We explore evolutionary models with M<SUB>*</SUB> = 0.585 M⊙ and M<SUB>*</SUB> = 0.87 M⊙, and two values of the thickness of the He-rich envelope (M<SUB>He</SUB> = 2x10<SUP>-7</SUP> M* and = 10-8 M<SUB>*</SUB>). These envelopes are 4–5 orders of magnitude thinner than those of standard DB white dwarf models resulting from canonical stellar evolution computations. Results. We found that at evolutionary phases in which the models are characterized by He-dominated atmospheres, they exhibit unstable g-mode pulsations typical of DBV stars, and when the models become DQ white dwarfs with carbon-dominated atmospheres, they continue being pulsationally unstable with characteristics similar to DB models, and in agreement with the periods detected in variable hot DQ white dwarfs. In particular, for models with M<SUB>He</SUB> = 10<SUP>-8</SUP> M<SUB>*</SUB>, a narrow gap exists separating the DB from the DQ instability domains. Conclusions. Our calculations provide strong support for the convective-mixing picture of the formation of hot DQs. In particular, our results suggest the existence of pulsating DB white dwarfs with very thin He-rich envelopes, which after passing the DBV instability strip become variable hot DQ stars. The existence of these DB stars with very thin envelopes should be investigated by asteroseismology.
format Articulo
Articulo
author Córsico, Alejandro Hugo
Romero, Alejandra Daniela
Althaus, Leandro Gabriel
García Berro, E.
author_facet Córsico, Alejandro Hugo
Romero, Alejandra Daniela
Althaus, Leandro Gabriel
García Berro, E.
author_sort Córsico, Alejandro Hugo
title Hot C-rich white dwarfs: Testing the DB-DQ transition through pulsations
title_short Hot C-rich white dwarfs: Testing the DB-DQ transition through pulsations
title_full Hot C-rich white dwarfs: Testing the DB-DQ transition through pulsations
title_fullStr Hot C-rich white dwarfs: Testing the DB-DQ transition through pulsations
title_full_unstemmed Hot C-rich white dwarfs: Testing the DB-DQ transition through pulsations
title_sort hot c-rich white dwarfs: testing the db-dq transition through pulsations
publishDate 2009
url http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/82790
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AT althausleandrogabriel hotcrichwhitedwarfstestingthedbdqtransitionthroughpulsations
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