2,794 research outputs found
Spectroscopic confirmation of a white dwarf companion to the B star 16 Dra
Using an Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) spectrum, we confirm the
identification of a white dwarf companion to the B9.5V star 16 Dra (HD150100),
and constrain its surface temperature to lie between 29,000K and 35,000K. This
is the third B star + white dwarf non-interacting Sirius-type binary to be
confirmed, after y Pup (HR2875, HD59635) and theta Hya (HR3665, HD79469). 16
Dra and its white dwarf companion are members of a larger resolved proper
motion system including the B9V star 17 Dra A (HD150117). The white dwarf must
have evolved from a progenitor more massive than this star, i.e. ~3.7 solar
masses. White dwarf companions to B stars are important since they set an
observational limit on the maximum mass for white dwarf progenitors, and can
potentially be used to investigate the high mass ends of the initial-final mass
relation and the white dwarf mass-radius relation.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 22nd May 200
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