Spectral Evolution Of White Dwarfs Research Articles

A rotating white dwarf shows different compositions on its opposite faces.

White dwarfs, the extremely dense remnants left behind by most stars after their death, are characterized by a mass comparable to that of the Sun compressed into the size of an Earth-like planet. In the resulting strong gravity, heavy elements sink towards the centre and the upper layer of the atmosphere contains only the lightest element present, usually hydrogen or helium1,2. Several mechanisms compete with gravitational settling to change a white dwarf's surface composition as it cools3, and the fraction of white dwarfs with helium atmospheres is known to increase by a factor of about 2.5 below a temperature of about 30,000 kelvin4-8; therefore, some white dwarfs that appear to have hydrogen-dominated atmospheres above 30,000 kelvin are bound to transition to be helium-dominated as they cool below it. Here we report observations of ZTF J203349.8+322901.1, a transitioning white dwarf with two faces: one side of its atmosphere is dominated by hydrogen and the other one by helium. This peculiar nature is probably caused by the presence of a small magnetic field, which creates an inhomogeneity in temperature, pressure or mixing strength over the surface9-11. ZTF J203349.8+322901.1 might be the most extreme member of a class of magnetic, transitioning white dwarfs-together with GD 323 (ref. 12), a white dwarf that shows similar but much more subtle variations. This class of white dwarfs could help shed light on the physical mechanisms behind the spectral evolution of white dwarfs.

Carbon dredge-up required to explain the Gaia white dwarf colour–magnitude bifurcation

ABSTRACT The Gaia colour–magnitude diagram reveals a striking separation between hydrogen-atmosphere white dwarfs and their helium-atmosphere counterparts throughout a significant portion of the white dwarf cooling track. However, pure-helium atmospheres have Gaia magnitudes that are too close to the pure-hydrogen case to explain this bifurcation. To reproduce the observed split in the cooling sequence, it has been shown that trace amounts of hydrogen and/or metals must be present in the helium-dominated atmospheres of hydrogen-deficient white dwarfs. Yet, a complete explanation of the Gaia bifurcation that takes into account known constraints on the spectral evolution of white dwarfs has thus far not been proposed. In this work, we attempt to provide such a holistic explanation by performing population synthesis simulations coupled with state-of-the-art model atmospheres and evolutionary calculations that account for element transport in the envelopes of white dwarfs. By relying on empirically grounded assumptions, these simulations successfully reproduce the bifurcation. We show that the convective dredge-up of optically undetectable traces of carbon from the deep interior is crucial to account for the observations. Neither the convective dilution/mixing of residual hydrogen nor the accretion of hydrogen or metals can be the dominant drivers of the bifurcation. Finally, we emphasize the importance of improving theoretical models for the average ionization level of carbon in warm dense helium, which governs the shape of the diffusive tail of carbon and in turn the predicted amount of dredged-up carbon.

On the Spectral Evolution of Hot White Dwarf Stars. IV. The Diffusion and Mixing of Residual Hydrogen in Helium-rich White Dwarfs

In the framework of our extensive modeling study of the spectral evolution of white dwarfs, we present here a new set of detailed calculations of the transport of residual hydrogen in helium-rich white dwarfs. First, we investigate the so-called float-up process at high effective temperatures, whereby the upward diffusion of trace hydrogen leads to the formation of a hydrogen atmosphere. We examine the dependence of this phenomenon on the initial hydrogen abundance and on the strength of the radiative wind that opposes gravitational settling. Combined with our empirical knowledge of spectral evolution, our simulations provide new quantitative constraints on the hydrogen content of the hot helium-dominated white dwarf population. Then, we study the outcome of the so-called convective dilution process at low effective temperatures, whereby the superficial hydrogen layer is mixed within the underlying helium-rich envelope. In stark contrast with previous works on convective dilution, we demonstrate that, under reasonable assumptions, our models successfully reproduce the observed atmospheric composition of cool DBA stars, thereby solving one of the most important problems of the theory of spectral evolution. This major improvement is due to our self-consistent modeling of the earlier float-up process, which predicts the existence of a massive hydrogen reservoir underneath the thin superficial layer. We argue that the trace hydrogen detected at the surface of DBA white dwarfs is, in most cases, of primordial origin rather than the result of external accretion.

On the Spectral Evolution of Hot White Dwarf Stars. III. The PG 1159–DO–DB–DQ Evolutionary Channel Revisited

We continue our comprehensive theoretical investigation of the spectral evolution of white dwarfs based on sophisticated simulations of element transport. In this paper, we focus on the transformation of PG 1159 stars into DO/DB white dwarfs due to the gravitational settling of heavy elements and then into DQ white dwarfs through the convective dredge-up of carbon. We study the impact of several physical parameters on the evolution of the surface carbon abundance over a wide range of effective temperatures. In the hot PG 1159 and DO phases, our calculations confirm that the temperature of the PG 1159-to-DO transition depends sensitively on the stellar mass and the wind mass-loss rate. We show that measured carbon abundances of DOZ white dwarfs are mostly accounted for by our models, with the notable exception of the coolest DOZ stars. In the cooler DB and DQ phases, the predicted atmospheric composition is strongly influenced by the stellar mass, the thickness of the envelope, the initial carbon content, the efficiency of convective overshoot, and the presence of residual hydrogen. We demonstrate that, under reasonable assumptions, our simulations reproduce very well the observed carbon abundance pattern of DQ stars, which thus allows us to constrain the extent of the overshoot region in cool helium-rich white dwarfs. We also argue that our calculations naturally explain a number of recent empirical results, such as the relative excess of low-mass DQ stars and the presence of trace hydrogen and/or carbon at the surface of most DC and DZ stars.

On the Spectral Evolution of Hot White Dwarf Stars. II. Time-dependent Simulations of Element Transport in Evolving White Dwarfs with STELUM

Abstract White dwarf stars are subject to various element transport mechanisms that can cause their surface composition to change radically as they cool, a phenomenon known as spectral evolution. In this paper, we undertake a comprehensive theoretical investigation of the spectral evolution of white dwarfs. First, we introduce STELUM, a new implementation of the stellar evolutionary code developed at the Université de Montréal. We provide a thorough description of the physical content and numerical techniques of the code, covering the treatment of both stellar evolution and chemical transport. Then, we present two state-of-the-art numerical simulations of element transport in evolving white dwarfs. Atomic diffusion, convective mixing, and mass loss are considered simultaneously as time-dependent diffusive processes and are fully coupled to the cooling. We first model the PG 1159−DO−DB−DQ evolutionary channel: a helium-, carbon-, and oxygen-rich PG 1159 star transforms into a pure-helium DB white dwarf due to gravitational settling and then into a helium-dominated, carbon-polluted DQ white dwarf through convective dredge-up. We also compute for the first time the full DO−DA−DC evolutionary channel: a helium-rich DO white dwarf harboring residual hydrogen becomes a pure-hydrogen DA star through the float-up process and then a helium-dominated, hydrogen-bearing DC star due to convective mixing. We demonstrate that our results are in excellent agreement with available empirical constraints. In particular, our DO−DA−DC simulation perfectly reproduces the lower branch of the bifurcation observed in the Gaia color–magnitude diagram, which can therefore be interpreted as a signature of spectral evolution.

J-PLUS: Spectral evolution of white dwarfs by PDF analysis

Aims. We estimated the spectral evolution of white dwarfs with effective temperature using the Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS) second data release (DR2), which provides 12 photometric optical passbands over 2176 deg2. Methods. We analyzed 5926 white dwarfs with r ≤ 19.5 mag in common between a white dwarf catalog defined from Gaia EDR3 and J-PLUS DR2. We performed a Bayesian analysis by comparing the observed J-PLUS photometry with theoretical models of hydrogen- and helium-dominated atmospheres. We estimated the probability distribution functions for effective temperature (Teff), surface gravity, parallax, and composition; and the probability of having a H-dominated atmosphere (pH) for each source. We applied a prior in parallax, using Gaia EDR3 measurements as a reference, and derived a self-consistent prior for the atmospheric composition as a function of Teff. Results. We described the fraction of white dwarfs with a He-dominated atmosphere (fHe) with a linear function of the effective temperature at 5000 < Teff < 30 000 K. We find fHe = 0.24 ± 0.01 at Teff = 10 000 K, a change rate along the cooling sequence of 0.14 ± 0.02 per 10 kK, and a minimum He-dominated fraction of 0.08 ± 0.02 at the high-temperature end. We tested the obtained pH by comparison with spectroscopic classifications, finding that it is reliable. We estimated the mass distribution for the 351 sources with distance d < 100 pc, mass M > 0.45 M⊙, and Teff > 6000 K. The result for H-dominated white dwarfs agrees with previous studies, with a dominant M = 0.59 M⊙ peak and the presence of an excess at M ∼ 0.8 M⊙. This high-mass excess is absent in the He-dominated distribution, which presents a single peak. Conclusions. The J-PLUS optical data provide a reliable statistical classification of white dwarfs into H- and He-dominated atmospheres. We find a 21 ± 3% increase in the fraction of He-dominated white dwarfs from Teff = 20 000 K to Teff = 5000 K.

From hydrogen to helium: the spectral evolution of white dwarfs as evidence for convective mixing

ABSTRACT We present a study of the hypothesis that white dwarfs undergo a spectral change from hydrogen- to helium-dominated atmospheres using a volume-limited photometric sample drawn from the Gaia-DR2 catalogue, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX). We exploit the strength of the Balmer jump in hydrogen-atmosphere DA white dwarfs to separate them from helium-dominated objects in SDSS colour space. Across the effective temperature range from 20 000 to 9000 K, we find that 22 per cent of white dwarfs will undergo a spectral change, with no spectral evolution being ruled out at 5σ. The most likely explanation is that the increase in He-rich objects is caused by the convective mixing of DA stars with thin hydrogen layers, in which helium is dredged up from deeper layers by a surface hydrogen convection zone. The rate of change in the fraction of He-rich objects as a function of temperature, coupled with a recent grid of 3D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of convective DA white dwarfs – which include the full overshoot region – lead to a discussion on the distribution of total hydrogen mass in white dwarfs. We find that 60 per cent of white dwarfs must have a hydrogen mass larger than MH/MWD = 10−10, another 25 per cent have masses in the range MH/MWD = 10−14–10−10, and 15 per cent have less hydrogen than MH/MWD = 10−14. These results have implications for white dwarf asteroseismology, stellar evolution through the asymptotic giant branch and accretion of planetesimals on to white dwarfs.

Analysis of Helium-rich White Dwarfs Polluted by Heavy Elements in the Gaia Era

Abstract We present an analysis of 1023 DBZ/DZ(A) and 319 DQ white dwarf stars taken from the Montreal White Dwarf Database. This represents a significant increase over the previous comprehensive studies on these types of objects. We use new trigonometric parallax measurements from the Gaia second data release, together with photometry from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Pan-STARRS, Gaia, or BVRI from the literature, which allow the determination of the mass for the majority of the objects in our sample. We use the photometric and spectroscopic techniques with our recently improved model atmospheres code, which include high-density effects, to accurately determine the effective temperature, surface gravity, and heavy-element abundances for each object. We study the abundance of hydrogen in DBZ/DZ white dwarfs and the properties of the accreted planetesimals. We explore the nature of the second sequence of DQ stars using proper motions from Gaia and highlight evidence of crystallization in massive DQ stars. We also present mass distributions for both spectral types. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings in the context of the spectral evolution of white dwarfs and provide the atmospheric parameters for each star.

On the DB gap of white dwarf evolution: effects of hydrogen mass fraction and convective overshooting

We investigate the spectral evolution of white dwarfs by considering the effects of hydrogen mass in the atmosphere and convective overshooting above the convection zone. Our numerical results show that white dwarfs with MH ∼ 10−16 M⊙ show the DA spectral type between 46000 ⪅ Teff ⪅ 26000 K and the DO or DB spectral type may appear on either side of this temperature range. White dwarfs with MH ∼ 10−15 M⊙ appear as DA stars until they cool to Teff ∼ 31000 K; from then on they will evolve into DB white dwarfs as a result of convective mixing. If MH in the white dwarfs is more than 10−14 M⊙, the convective mixing will not occur when Teff > 20000 K, thus these white dwarfs always appear as DA stars. White dwarfs within the temperature range 46000 ⪅ Teff ⪅ 31000 K always show the DA spectral type, which coincides with the DB gap. We notice the importance of the convective overshooting and suggest that the overshooting length should be proportional to the thickness of the convection zone to better fit the observations.

High-resolution UVES/VLT spectra of white dwarfs observed for the ESO SN Ia progenitor survey

Context. We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of the stars with helium-dominated spectra in the ESO Supernova la Progenitor Survey (SPY). Aims. Atmospheric parameters, masses, and abundances of trace hydrogen are determined and discussed in the context of spectral evolution of white dwarfs. Methods. The spectra are compared with theoretical model atmospheres using a Χ 2 fitting technique, leading to determinations of effective temperature, surface gravity, and hydrogen abundance. Results. Our final sample contains 71 objects, of which 6 are new detections and 14 are reclassified from DB to DBA because of the presence of H lines. One is a cool DO with weak He II lines, 2 are composite DB+dM. 55% of the DB sample show hydrogen and are thus DBA, a significantly higher fraction than found before. Conclusions. The large incidence of DBA, and the derived total hydrogen masses are compatible with the scenario that DBs reappear around 30000 K from the DB gap by mixing and diluting a thin hydrogen layer of the order of 10 -15 M ⊙ . This hydrogen mass is then during the evolution continuously increased by interstellar accretion. There are indications that the accretion rate increases smoothly with age or decreasing temperature, a trend which continuous even below the current low temperature limit (Dufour 2006). A remaining mystery is the low accretion rate of H compared to that of Ca observed in the DBZA, but a stellar wind extending down to the lowest temperatures with decreasing strength might be part of the solution.

EUVEandORFEUSObservations of the Cool DO White Dwarf HD 149499 B

We present the results of a recent spectroscopic investigation of the cool DO white dwarf HD 149499 B in the EUV and FUV ranges. Observations were performed with the spectrograph of theEUVEsatellite and the Berkeley EUV/FUV spectrometer of theORFEUSspace experiment. The analysis of theORFEUSspectrum, performed with a grid of LTE model atmospheres, yielded the basic parametersTeff= 49500 ± 500 K and logg= 7.97 ± 0.08. This result is confirmed by theEUVEspectra. The photospheric hydrogen Lyman lines in the FUV spectrum indicate the presence of hydrogen: lognH/nHe= −0.65 ± 0.12. The implications of this finding for the spectral evolution of white dwarfs are discussed. A check of the LTE assumption was performed by a comparison with NLTE atmospheres calculated for appropriate parameters. The interstellar hydrogen column towards the HD 149499 system amounts toNH= (7 ± 2) · 1018cm−2.

Radiative Levitation in Hot White Dwarfs: Equilibrium Theory

view Abstract Citations (197) References (78) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Radiative Levitation in Hot White Dwarfs: Equilibrium Theory Chayer, P. ; Fontaine, G. ; Wesemael, F. Abstract We present the results of detailed calculations of radiative levitation in hot white dwarfs using the extensive and homogeneous atomic data given in TOPBASE. Radiative accelerations and equilibrium abundances have been computed for C, N, O, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ar, Ca, and Fe on grids of pure hydrogen and pure helium stellar envelope models. The DA model grid has log g = 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, and 8.5, and spans the range of effective temperature 100,000 ≥ Teff ≥ 20,000 K in steps of 2500 K. The DO/DB grid is similar but extends to Teff = 130,000 K. We discuss at some length the input physics used in order to provide a good physical understanding of radiative levitation under white dwarf conditions. We also discuss the depth dependence and the morphology of the reservoirs of levitating elements created by an equilibrium between the radiative acceleration and the local effective gravity in various stellar envelopes. The important role played in the morphology of the reservoirs by dominant ionization states in closed-shell electronic configurations is emphasized. Our central results are presented in the form of figures showing the behavior of the expected photospheric abundance of each element as a function of effective temperature and surface gravity. While only a handful of abundances are available from the few analyses of observations that have been carried out, we are nevertheless able to infer through a detailed comparison that equilibrium radiative levitation theory fails to explain quantitatively the observed abundance patterns of heavy elements in hot white dwarfs. At least one other mechanism must be competing with radiative levitation and gravitational settling in the atmospheres/envelopes of hot white dwarfs. This basic conclusion is not affected by the inherent uncertainties and limitations of our calculations. Among those, we single out our neglect of the effects of trace pollutants in the background plasma, our use of a model envelope approach to estimate photospheric abundances, our relatively crude description of the momentum redistribution that an ion experiences following a photoexcitation, and our neglect of the atomic fine structure. These represent areas where improvements may be called upon in future calculations of radiative levitation in white dwarfs. We finally indicate promising avenues for further progress in this chapter of the theory of spectral evolution of white dwarfs. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series Pub Date: July 1995 DOI: 10.1086/192184 Bibcode: 1995ApJS...99..189C Keywords: STARS: ATMOSPHERES; STARS: ABUNDANCES; DIFFUSION; RADIATIVE TRANSFER; STARS: INTERIORS; STARS: WHITE DWARFS full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (17) MAST (2)

The pulsation index, effective temperature, and thickness of the hydrogen layer in the pulsating DA white dwarf G117-B15A

We have measured the amplitude of the 215 s pulsation of the pulsating DA white dwarf, or ZZ Ceti star, G117-B15A in six passbands with effective wavelengths from 1570 to 6730 A. We find that the index of the pulsation is l = 1 with a high degree of confidence, the first unambiguous determination of l for a pulsation of a ZZ Ceti star. We also find that log g and T(sub eff) are tightly correlated for model atmospheres that fit the data, such that at log g = 7.5 the temperature is 11,750 K and at log g = 8.0 the temperature is 12,375 K. Adopting log g = 7.97 +/- 0.06 from published observations of the optical spectrum of G117-B15A, the correlation yields T(sub eff) = 12,375 +/- 125 K. This temperature is free of flux calibration errors and should be substantially more reliable than temperatures derived for IUE spectra. Since G117-B15A is thought to lie close to the blue edge of the ZZ Ceti instability strip, this low temperature also implies a low temperature for the blue edge. Using pulsation models calculated by Fontaine et al. (1992) and Bradley (1994), we find that the mass of the hydrogen layer in G117-B15A lies between 1.0 x 10(exp -6) solar mass (for k = 1) and 8 x 10(exp -5) solar mass (for k = 2). This range of masses is (barely) consistent with the masses predicted by recent models for the ejection of planetary nebulae, (8-13) x 10(exp -5) solar mass. The mass is too large to be consistent with models invoking thin hydrogen layers to explain the spectral evolution of white dwarfs.

Hot degenerates in the MCT survey. I - MCT 0130 - 1937, a new, color-selected PG 1159 object

In the course of a survey for high-latitude, UV excess objects in the Southern Hemisphere, a new white dwarf star belonging to the PG 1159 spectroscopic class was discovered. A variety of spectroscopic observations show this object to be similar to the prototype PG 1159 - 035 in exhibiting He II, C IV, and O VI features in its optical spectrum, as well as a rich absorption spectrum in the ultraviolet. In addition, the slope of its energy distribution appears as steep as that of PG 1159 - 035 and is consistent with the Rayleigh-Jeans tail of a very hot star. White-light, high-speed photometry reveals that this object does not exhibit periodic variations in the range 10-2000 s with semiamplitudes larger than about 0.002 mag. The importance of such objects for current models of the spectral evolution of white dwarfs is emphasized. 37 refs.

Finite Element Analysis of Diffusion Processes in White Dwarfs

The spectral evolution of white dwarfs is governed by diffusion processes which enter into competition with mechanisms such as mass loss, convective mixing, and accretion from the interstellar medium in various phases of the evolution. Until recently, our theoretical understanding of the chemical evolution of these stars has been limited by the very severe numerical difficulties which plague a time-dependent description of the problem. Indeed, diffusion problems in white dwarf interiors and envelopes are particularly demanding from a computational standpoint: they involve relative chemical abundances spanning many orders of magnitude, time integration length of a few billion years, and many physical processes operating with greatly different time constants. We have already introduced in the field a robust numerical technique based on an implicit finite difference scheme designed for nonlinear two-point boundary value problems (Pelletier 1986). This method has been used to investigate a number of problems related to the spectral evolution of white dwarfs (Pelletier 1986; Pelletier et al. 1986; Dupuis et al. 1987). As requirements for further progress in the field become more exacting and in the interest of improving the efficiency, we have sought to develop even more powerful numerical techniques. We briefly introduce here an efficient computational approach to diffusion problems in white dwarfs based on a Galerkin finite element method to solve the convective-diffusion equation in an evolving white dwarf model. As an illustrative example, we discuss some sample results of a detailed investigation of the problem of chemical sedimentation (H, He, and C) in the envelopes of hot white dwarfs and the formation of DA stars.

Diffusion-induced hydrogen burning in helium-rich white dwarfs

view Abstract Citations (32) References (36) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Diffusion-induced hydrogen burning in helium-rich white dwarfs Michaud, G. ; Fontaine, G. ; Charland, Y. Abstract Even though diffusion concentrates hydrogen at the surface of white dwarfs, it is shown that the tail of the hydrogen abundance distribution extends deep enough for hydrogen to burn efficiently and quiescently in some of these stars. In the presence of nuclear burning, diffusion transports hydrogen from the superficial layers of white dwarfs to deeper regions where it is destroyed. The conditions under which this process is efficient in white dwarfs are examined, and, in particular, the process is applied to accreting helium-rich white dwarfs. This mechanism offers a natural explanation for the near absence of hydrogen in the atmospheres of helium-rich white dwarfs even if accretion of hydrogen-rich interstellar matter occurs onto those objects. It is shown that this process is most efficient in stars somewhat cooler than 30,000 K but hotter than 10,000 K. The main uncertainty in the calculations comes from the uncertainty in the interior temperature of white dwarfs. It is also shown that modest amounts of turbulence considerably increase the efficiency of this mechanism, effectively putting an upper limit on the presence of turbulence in white dwarfs. The discussion also covers the implications of the process for the spectral evolution of white dwarfs and, in particular, the transformation of some DA stars into DB objects. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: May 1984 DOI: 10.1086/161991 Bibcode: 1984ApJ...280..247M Keywords: Hydrogen; Nuclear Fusion; Stellar Models; White Dwarf Stars; Atmospheric Composition; Helium; Steady State; Stellar Atmospheres; Stellar Cores; Stellar Mass Accretion; Turbulence Effects; Astrophysics full text sources ADS |

Diffusion Coefficients in Dense Plasmas

It has been known for some time (Schatzman 1958) that diffusion could play an important role in the spectral evolution of white dwarfs. However, it is only recently that quantitative estimates have become available, making use of detailed envelope models (Fontaine and Michaud 1979, hereafter referred to as FM; Vauclair, Vauclair, and Greenstein 1979; Alcock and Illarionov 1979). These studies suggest that the observed monoelemental character of white dwarf spectra can qualitatively be explained in terms of the diffusion model. Moreover, it appears that the diffusion time scales are so short compared to evolutionary times that competing mechanisms, such as accretion, must be invoked to explain the small but measurable abundances of heavy elements in the spectra of cooler white dwarfs.