Near-infrared observations of dusty white dwarfs

Laura K. Rogers; Siyi Xu; Amy Bonsor; Simon Hodgkin; Kate Y.L. Su; Ted Von Hippel; Michael Jura

doi:10.1017/S1743921320000770

Near-infrared observations of dusty white dwarfs

Laura K. Rogers, Siyi Xu, Amy Bonsor, Simon Hodgkin, Kate Y.L. Su, Ted Von Hippel, Michael Jura

Steward Observatory

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

Abstract

Planetary material in the atmospheres of white dwarfs is thought to be scattered inwards from outer planetary systems. Dusty emission in the infrared traces the accretion. As the scattering of many small asteroids is a stochastic process, variability in the infrared emission is predicted. We report a 3 year near-infrared (J, H and K) monitoring campaign of 34 dusty, polluted white dwarfs which aims to search for dust emission variability. We find all white dwarfs have consistent near-infrared fluxes, implying the excess emission is stable. This suggests tidal disruption events which lead to large variabilities are rare and quick (<1 year) and become stable within a few years. For WD0408-041, the system that shows both increases and decreases in dust emission over 11 years, our K band data suggest a potential colour change associated with the dust emission that needs further nfirmation.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	33-36
Number of pages	4
Journal	Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921320000770
State	Accepted/In press - 2020

Keywords

Asteroids
Minor planets
Planetary systems
White dwarfs

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1017/S1743921320000770

Cite this

@article{a8fb37faccd7443682b8fbb5a17137f9,

title = "Near-infrared observations of dusty white dwarfs",

abstract = "Planetary material in the atmospheres of white dwarfs is thought to be scattered inwards from outer planetary systems. Dusty emission in the infrared traces the accretion. As the scattering of many small asteroids is a stochastic process, variability in the infrared emission is predicted. We report a 3 year near-infrared (J, H and K) monitoring campaign of 34 dusty, polluted white dwarfs which aims to search for dust emission variability. We find all white dwarfs have consistent near-infrared fluxes, implying the excess emission is stable. This suggests tidal disruption events which lead to large variabilities are rare and quick (<1 year) and become stable within a few years. For WD0408-041, the system that shows both increases and decreases in dust emission over 11 years, our K band data suggest a potential colour change associated with the dust emission that needs further nfirmation.",

keywords = "Asteroids, Minor planets, Planetary systems, White dwarfs",

author = "Rogers, {Laura K.} and Siyi Xu and Amy Bonsor and Simon Hodgkin and Su, {Kate Y.L.} and {Von Hippel}, Ted and Michael Jura",

year = "2020",

doi = "10.1017/S1743921320000770",

language = "English (US)",

pages = "33--36",

journal = "Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union",

issn = "1743-9213",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Near-infrared observations of dusty white dwarfs

AU - Rogers, Laura K.

AU - Xu, Siyi

AU - Bonsor, Amy

AU - Hodgkin, Simon

AU - Su, Kate Y.L.

AU - Von Hippel, Ted

AU - Jura, Michael

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Planetary material in the atmospheres of white dwarfs is thought to be scattered inwards from outer planetary systems. Dusty emission in the infrared traces the accretion. As the scattering of many small asteroids is a stochastic process, variability in the infrared emission is predicted. We report a 3 year near-infrared (J, H and K) monitoring campaign of 34 dusty, polluted white dwarfs which aims to search for dust emission variability. We find all white dwarfs have consistent near-infrared fluxes, implying the excess emission is stable. This suggests tidal disruption events which lead to large variabilities are rare and quick (<1 year) and become stable within a few years. For WD0408-041, the system that shows both increases and decreases in dust emission over 11 years, our K band data suggest a potential colour change associated with the dust emission that needs further nfirmation.

AB - Planetary material in the atmospheres of white dwarfs is thought to be scattered inwards from outer planetary systems. Dusty emission in the infrared traces the accretion. As the scattering of many small asteroids is a stochastic process, variability in the infrared emission is predicted. We report a 3 year near-infrared (J, H and K) monitoring campaign of 34 dusty, polluted white dwarfs which aims to search for dust emission variability. We find all white dwarfs have consistent near-infrared fluxes, implying the excess emission is stable. This suggests tidal disruption events which lead to large variabilities are rare and quick (<1 year) and become stable within a few years. For WD0408-041, the system that shows both increases and decreases in dust emission over 11 years, our K band data suggest a potential colour change associated with the dust emission that needs further nfirmation.

KW - Asteroids

KW - Minor planets

KW - Planetary systems

KW - White dwarfs

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85095424777&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85095424777&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/S1743921320000770

DO - 10.1017/S1743921320000770

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85095424777

SN - 1743-9213

SP - 33

EP - 36

JO - Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

JF - Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

ER -

Near-infrared observations of dusty white dwarfs

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this