Magnetic field measurements in white dwarfs. Magnetic field, rotation and spectrum of 40 Eri B

Fabrika, S. N.; Valyavin, G. G.; Burlakova, T. E.; Barsukova, E. A.; Monin, D. N.

Magnetic field measurements in white dwarfs. Magnetic field, rotation and spectrum of 40 Eri B

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Description

This paper describes results of magnetic field measurements of white dwarfs carried out on the 6-m telescope for the last years. A magnetic field of about Be ~ 28 kG has been discovered in the degenerate star WD 1953-011. A rotational period of WD 0009+501, 1.83 hours, has been discovered, the average magnetic field of the star is <Be> = -42.3 +/- 5.4 kG and its semi-amplitude of the rotational variability is 32.0 +/- 6.8 kG. The variable magnetic field of the bright normal (non-magnetic) degenerate star 40 Eridani B was confirmed in January 1999 by Zeeman time-resolved spectroscopy. Both the Halpha and the Hbeta lines give about the same results, we have selected two best periods in the magnetic field variability, 2h25m and 5h17m. The semi-amplitude of the rotational variations B_ max ~ 4000-5000 G and the average field is about zero +/- 500 G. If the magnetic field of 40 Eridani B is a central dipole, then the rotational axis inclination to the line of sight is i ~ 90 DEG, and the magnetic axis inclination to the rotational axis is about the same, beta ~ 90 DEG. For the first time an ultra-high signal-to-noise spectrum of the white dwarf has been obtained (S/N > 1000). We have found in this hydrogen-rich DA white dwarf 40 Eridani B (16500 K) that helium abundance is low (N(He)/N(H) < 10^{-7}), but the spectrum is rich in ultra-weak absorption lines of metals in low ionization states. It was proposed that these lines were produced in both circumstellar and interstellar gas.
11 pages, 12 figures, "Magnetic fields of chemically peculiar and related stars", eds. Yu. V. Glagolevskij and I.I. Romanyuk, Proceed. of Intern. Meeting, Moscow, 2000 (in press), p.219