The dust cloud around the white dwarf G29-38

William T. Reach; Marc J. Kuchner; Ted Von Hippel; Adam S. Burrows; Fergal Mullally; Mukremin Kilic; D. E. Winget

doi:10.1086/499561

The dust cloud around the white dwarf G29-38

William T. Reach, Marc J. Kuchner, Ted Von Hippel, Adam S. Burrows, Fergal Mullally, Mukremin Kilic, D. E. Winget

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

157 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present new observations of the white dwarf G29-38 with the camera (4.5 and 8 μm), photometer (24 μm), and spectrograph (5.5-14 μm) of the Spitzer Space Telescope. This star has an exceptionally large infrared excess, amounting to 3% of the bolometric luminosity. The spectral energy distribution (SED) has a continuum peak around 4.5 μm and a 9-11 μm emission feature 1.25 times brighter than the continuum. A mixture of amorphous olivine and a small amount of forsterite in an emitting region 1-5 R_⊙ from the star can reproduce the shape of the 9-11 μm feature. The SED also appears to require amorphous carbon to explain the hot continuum. Our new measurements support the idea that a relatively recent disruption of a comet or asteroid created the cloud.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L161-L164
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	635
Issue number	2 II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/499561
State	Published - Dec 20 2005

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Keywords

Infrared: stars
Stars: individual (G29-38, WD 2326+049)
White dwarfs

Access to Document

10.1086/499561

Cite this

@article{b9826726e14646628d4918722da2941a,

title = "The dust cloud around the white dwarf G29-38",

abstract = "We present new observations of the white dwarf G29-38 with the camera (4.5 and 8 μm), photometer (24 μm), and spectrograph (5.5-14 μm) of the Spitzer Space Telescope. This star has an exceptionally large infrared excess, amounting to 3% of the bolometric luminosity. The spectral energy distribution (SED) has a continuum peak around 4.5 μm and a 9-11 μm emission feature 1.25 times brighter than the continuum. A mixture of amorphous olivine and a small amount of forsterite in an emitting region 1-5 R⊙ from the star can reproduce the shape of the 9-11 μm feature. The SED also appears to require amorphous carbon to explain the hot continuum. Our new measurements support the idea that a relatively recent disruption of a comet or asteroid created the cloud.",

keywords = "Infrared: stars, Stars: individual (G29-38, WD 2326+049), White dwarfs",

author = "Reach, {William T.} and Kuchner, {Marc J.} and {Von Hippel}, Ted and Burrows, {Adam S.} and Fergal Mullally and Mukremin Kilic and Winget, {D. E.}",

year = "2005",

month = dec,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1086/499561",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "635",

pages = "L161--L164",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2 II",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The dust cloud around the white dwarf G29-38

AU - Reach, William T.

AU - Kuchner, Marc J.

AU - Von Hippel, Ted

AU - Burrows, Adam S.

AU - Mullally, Fergal

AU - Kilic, Mukremin

AU - Winget, D. E.

PY - 2005/12/20

Y1 - 2005/12/20

N2 - We present new observations of the white dwarf G29-38 with the camera (4.5 and 8 μm), photometer (24 μm), and spectrograph (5.5-14 μm) of the Spitzer Space Telescope. This star has an exceptionally large infrared excess, amounting to 3% of the bolometric luminosity. The spectral energy distribution (SED) has a continuum peak around 4.5 μm and a 9-11 μm emission feature 1.25 times brighter than the continuum. A mixture of amorphous olivine and a small amount of forsterite in an emitting region 1-5 R⊙ from the star can reproduce the shape of the 9-11 μm feature. The SED also appears to require amorphous carbon to explain the hot continuum. Our new measurements support the idea that a relatively recent disruption of a comet or asteroid created the cloud.

AB - We present new observations of the white dwarf G29-38 with the camera (4.5 and 8 μm), photometer (24 μm), and spectrograph (5.5-14 μm) of the Spitzer Space Telescope. This star has an exceptionally large infrared excess, amounting to 3% of the bolometric luminosity. The spectral energy distribution (SED) has a continuum peak around 4.5 μm and a 9-11 μm emission feature 1.25 times brighter than the continuum. A mixture of amorphous olivine and a small amount of forsterite in an emitting region 1-5 R⊙ from the star can reproduce the shape of the 9-11 μm feature. The SED also appears to require amorphous carbon to explain the hot continuum. Our new measurements support the idea that a relatively recent disruption of a comet or asteroid created the cloud.

KW - Infrared: stars

KW - Stars: individual (G29-38, WD 2326+049)

KW - White dwarfs

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=30544450496&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=30544450496&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1086/499561

DO - 10.1086/499561

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:30544450496

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 635

SP - L161-L164

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 II

ER -

The dust cloud around the white dwarf G29-38

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this