A Survey for Photometric Variability in Isolated Magnetic White Dwarfs—Measuring their Spin Periods

We present the initial findings of a photometric survey of isolated magnetic white dwarfs (MWDs) carried out with the 1.0m Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope. Of our sample of 30 MWDs, we have observed variability in 17 (57%) over our observed timescales (minutes to years), with a further 11 requiring more data, and two that are non-variable at the 1% level. In total we have discovered possible variability in 15 targets that has not been reported before in the literature, and we have measured the spin period of five objects in our sample to within a few percent. We find no correlation between spin period, mass or temperature, but there may be a weak negative correlation between period and field strength for the short-period targets. We have identified 14 MWDs with low field strengths and low temperatures, which are candidates for having star spots on their surfaces and should be followed up with polarimetry. We have also found that three low-field, high temperature MWDs are unexpectedly variable, with no obvious mechanism to cause this

KPD1930+2752 - a candidate Type Ia supernova progenitor

We present spectra of the pulsating sdB star KPD1930+2752 which confirm that this star is a binary. The radial velocities measured from the H-alpha and HeI6678 spectral lines vary sinusoidally with the same period (2h 17m) as the ellipsoidal variability seen by Billeres et al. (2000). The amplitude of the orbital motion (349.3+-2.7 km/s) combined with the canonical mass for sdB stars (0.5 solar masses) implies a total mass for the binary of 1.47+-0.01 solar masses The unseen companion star is almost certainly a white dwarf star. The binary will merge within about 200 million years due to gravitational wave radiation. The accretion of helium and other elements heavier than hydrogen onto the white dwarf which then exceeds the Chandrasekhar mass (1.4 solar masses) is a viable model for the cause of Type Ia supernovae. KPD1930+2752 is the first star to be discovered which is a good candidate for the progenitor of a Type Ia supernova of this type which will merge on an astrophysically interesting timescale.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 4 pages, 2 figures. Added Institutio

A new magnetic white dwarf : PG2329+267

We have discovered that the white dwarf PG 2329+267 is magnetic, and assuming a centered dipole structure, has a dipole magnetic field strength of approximately 2.3MG. This makes it one of only approximately 4% of isolated white dwarfs with a detectable magnetic field. Linear Zeeman splitting as well as quadratic Zeeman shifts are evident in the hydrogen Balmer sequence and circular spectropolarimetry reveals 10% circular polarisation in the two displaced sigma components of Halpha. We suggest from comparison with spectra of white dwarfs of known mass that PG 2329+267 is more massive than typical isolated white dwarfs, in agreement with the hypothesis that magnetic white dwarfs evolve from magnetic chemically peculiar Ap and Bp type main sequence stars.Comment: 5 pages, with 2 encapsulated postscipts figures include

Influence of Storage of Wet Arabica Parchment Prior to Wet Hulling on Moulds Development, OchratoxinA Contamination, and Cup Quality of Mandheling Coffee

Mandheling coffee has been a well known specialty coffees for decades and the demand for this coffee is currently increasing. This coffee is characterised by low acidity, heavy-complex body, spicy-little earthy and fruity flavor. Mandheling coffee is produced by smallholder farmers in the highland surrounding Lake TobaNorth Sumatra in an unique way i.e. following de-pulping and 1–2 days sundrying, wet parchment is stored for varying periods up to a few weeks, the parchments are then de-hulled when still wet (40–45% moisture content) then the beans sundried. The handling procedure presumably contributes to the unique cup character of Mandheling coffee. On the other hand the storage of wet pachments may cause mould growth and mycotoxin contamination. This trial was designed to study the influence of storage of wet parchments prior to wet hulling on mould development, OTA contamination and cup Mandheling characteristic of the coffee product. The normal wet process, drying of parchment thoroughly to 12% moisture content was used as the control. Parchment coffees (6 lots) used for this trial were drawn from farmers and collectors in the region. The wet parchments (41.74–53.96% moisture content) were stored for 1 (D1), 7 (D7) and 14 (D14) days in PE sacks in a warehouse in the region. During the storage period, when there was visible mould growth, the parchments were spread on a plastic sheet inside the warehouse, as per common practice to suppress the mould growth. Following storage, the wet parchment was de-hulled and then sun-dried to a moisture content of 12% (MC12%) or dried to a moisture content of 17%, and held in storage for 3 weeks prior to final drying to 12% mc. The ‘normal wet process\u27 i.e. fresh-non stored parchments dried thoroughly to 12%, were used as the control. Parameters measured were visual evaluation, mould infestation, a w, moisture content (MC) on the stored parchment; while for dried beans mould infestation, OTA content and the Mandheling cup character evaluation (done by 4 panelists who were familiar to the coffee) were determined. Some mould species grew during the storage course, with black Aspergillus was the dominant species found in the beans, while A. ochraceusan OTA producer, was found in some samples with low infection rate (0–15.3%). Spreading of coffee inside the warehouse during the day could suppress moulds growth. OTA was found in only 5 samples out of 42 samples with range of 0.17–2.24 ppb, very less than European Union limit. There was no clear trend of storage period on the mould infection rates, OTA content, and the Mandheling cup characters. The high variability of the outcome was likely due to the inhomogenity of parchments used for this trial. The best Mandheling was found in the sample of D1-MC12%-coffee source of lot 1

Close Binary White Dwarf Systems: Numerous New Detections and Their Interpretation

We describe radial velocity observations of a large sample of apparently single white dwarfs (WDs), obtained in a long-term effort to discover close, double-degenerate (DD) pairs which might comprise viable Type Ia Supernova (SN Ia) progenitors. We augment the WD sample with a previously observed sample of apparently single subdwarf B (sdB) stars, which are believed to evolve directly to the WD cooling sequence after the cessation of core helium burning. We have identified 18 new radial velocity variables, including five confirmed sdB+WD short-period pairs. Our observations are in general agreement with the predictions of the theory of binary star evolution. We describe a numerical method to evaluate the detection efficiency of the survey and estimate the number of binary systems not detected due to the effects of varying orbital inclination, orbital phase at the epoch of the first observation, and the actual temporal sampling of each object in the sample. Follow-up observations are in progress to solve for the orbital parameters of the candidate velocity variables.Comment: 30 pages (LaTeX) + 6 figures (Postscript), aaspp4 styl

A mystery solved: the mass ratio of the dwarf nova EM Cygni

We have discovered that the spectrum of the well-known dwarf nova EM Cyg is contaminated by light from a K2-5V star (in addition to the K-type mass donor star). The K2-5V star contributes approximately 16 per cent of the light from the system and if not taken into account has a considerable effect upon radial velocity measurements of the mass donor star. We obtain a new radial velocity amplitude for the mass donor star of K2 = 202 +/- 3 km/s, which compares with the value of K2 = 135 +/- 3 km/s obtained in Stover, Robinson & Nather's classic 1981 study of EM Cyg. The revised value of the amplitude combined with a measurement of rotational broadening of the mass donor vsini = 140 +/- 6 km/s, leads to a new mass ratio of q = M2/M1 = 0.88 +/- 0.05. This solves a long standing problem with EM Cyg because Stover et al.'s measurements indicated a mass ratio q > 1, a value which should have led to dynamically unstable mass transfer for the secondary mass deduced by Stover et al. The revised value of the mass ratio combined with the orbital inclination i = 67 +/- 2 degrees leads to masses of 0.99 +/- 0.12 Msun and 1.12 +/- 0.08 Msun for the mass donor and white dwarf respectively. The mass donor is evolved, since it has a later spectral type (K3) than its mass would imply. We discuss whether the K star could be physically associated with EM Cyg or not, and present the results of the spectroscopic study.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Searching for nova shells around cataclysmic variables

We present the results of a search for nova shells around 101 cataclysmic variables (CVs), using Halpha images taken with the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope (WHT) and the 2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope Photometric Halpha Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (IPHAS). Both telescopes are located on La Palma. We concentrated our WHT search on nova-like variables, whilst our IPHAS search covered all CVs in the IPHAS footprint. We found one shell out of the 24 nova-like variables we examined. The newly discovered shell is around V1315 Aql and has a radius of approx.2.5 arcmin, indicative of a nova eruption approximately 120 years ago. This result is consistent with the idea that the high mass-transfer rate exhibited by nova-like variables is due to enhanced irradiation of the secondary by the hot white dwarf following a recent nova eruption. The implications of our observations for the lifetime of the nova-like variable phase are discussed. We also examined 4 asynchronous polars, but found no new shells around any of them, so we are unable to confirm that a recent nova eruption is the cause of the asynchronicity in the white dwarf spin. We find tentative evidence of a faint shell around the dwarf nova V1363 Cyg. In addition, we find evidence for a light echo around the nova V2275 Cyg, which erupted in 2001, indicative of an earlier nova eruption approx.300 years ago, making V2275 Cyg a possible recurrent nova.Comment: 14 pages, 50 figures, 3 Table