Astronomy:GD 66

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Short description: Star in the constellation Auriga
GD 66
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A light curve for GD 66, adapted from Fontaine et al. (1985)[1]
Observation data
Equinox J2000.0]] (ICRS)
Constellation Auriga[2]
Right ascension  05h 20m 38.32s[3]
Declination +30° 48′ 23.9″[3]
Apparent magnitude (V) 15.6[4]
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage white dwarf[5]
Spectral type DA4.1[6]
U−B color index −0.59[7]
B−V color index +0.22[7]
Variable type ZZA[4]
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: +57.213[3] mas/yr
Dec.: −122.348[3] mas/yr
Parallax (π)17.5116 ± 0.0387[3] mas
Distance186.3 ± 0.4 ly
(57.1 ± 0.1 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)11.79[6]
Details
Mass0.64±0.03[8] M
Surface gravity (log g)8.05[9] cgs
Temperature11,980[9] K
Age1.2–1.7[8] Gyr
Other designations
GD 66, 361 Aurigae, EGGR 572, WD 0517+30, WD 0517+307, 2MASS J05203829+3048239[10]
Database references
SIMBADdata

GD 66 or V361 Aurigae is a 0.64 solar mass (M)[8] pulsating white dwarf star located 170 light years from Earth[5] in the Auriga constellation. The estimated cooling age of the white dwarf is 500 million years.[8] Models of the relationship between the initial mass of a star and its final mass as a white dwarf star suggest that when the star was on the main sequence it had a mass of approximately 2.5 M, which implies its lifetime was around 830 million years.[8] The total age of the star is thus estimated to be in the range 1.2 to 1.7 billion years.[8]

In 1983, Noël Dolez et al. discovered that GD 66 is a variable star, from photometric data obtained at Haute-Provence Observatory.[11] It was given its variable star designation, V361 Aurigae, in 1985.[12] The star is a pulsating white dwarf of type DAV, with an extremely stable period. Small variations in the phase of pulsation led to the suggestion that the star was being orbited by a giant planet which caused the pulsations to be delayed due to the varying distance to the star caused by the reflex motion about the system's centre-of-mass.[5] Observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope failed to directly detect the planet, which put an upper limit on the mass of 5–6 Jupiter masses.[8] Investigation of a separate pulsation mode revealed timing variations in antiphase with the variations in the originally-analysed pulsation mode.[13] This would not be the case if the variations were caused by an orbiting planet, and thus the timing variations must have a different cause. This illustrates the potential dangers of attempting to detect planets by white dwarf pulsation timing.[14]

References

  1. Fontaine, G.; Wesemael, F.; Bergeron, P.; Lacombe, P.; Lamontagne, R. (July 1985). "The demise of mode identification in the pulsating DA white dwarf GD 66". The Astrophysical Journal 294: 339–344. doi:10.1086/163301. Bibcode1985ApJ...294..339F. 
  2. Roman, Nancy G. (1987). "Identification of a constellation from a position". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 99 (617): 695. doi:10.1086/132034. Bibcode1987PASP...99..695R  Constellation record for this object at VizieR.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Vallenari, A. et al. (2022). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940  Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Samus', N. N.; Kazarovets, E. V.; Durlevich, O. V.; Kireeva, N. N.; Pastukhova, E. N. (2017). "General catalogue of variable stars: Version GCVS 5.1". Astronomy Reports 61 (1): 80. doi:10.1134/S1063772917010085. Bibcode2017ARep...61...80S. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Mullally, F. (2008). "Limits on Planets around Pulsating White Dwarf Stars". The Astrophysical Journal 676 (1): 573–583. doi:10.1086/528672. Bibcode2008ApJ...676..573M. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 Gianninas, A.; Bergeron, P.; Ruiz, M. T. (2011). "A Spectroscopic Survey and Analysis of Bright, Hydrogen-rich White Dwarfs". The Astrophysical Journal 743 (2): 138. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/743/2/138. Bibcode2011ApJ...743..138G. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 Mermilliod, J. -C. (1987). "UBV Photoelectric Photometry Catalogue (1986): I. The Original data". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series 71: 413. Bibcode1987A&AS...71..413M. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Mullally, F. (2009). "Spitzer Planet Limits around the Pulsating White Dwarf GD66". The Astrophysical Journal 694 (1): 327–331. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/694/1/327. Bibcode2009ApJ...694..327M. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 Bergeron, P. (2004). "On the Purity of the ZZ Ceti Instability Strip: Discovery of More Pulsating DA White Dwarfs on the Basis of Optical Spectroscopy". The Astrophysical Journal 600 (1): 404–408. doi:10.1086/379808. Bibcode2004ApJ...600..404B. 
  10. "V* V361 Aur". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=V%2A+V361+Aur. 
  11. Dolez, N.; Vauclair, G.; Chevreton, M. (May 1983). "Identification of gravity modes in the newly discovered ZZ Ceti variable GD 66". Astronomy and Astrophysics 121: L23-L26. Bibcode1983A&A...121L..23D. 
  12. Kholopov, P. N.; Samus, N. N.; Kazarovets, E. V.; Perova, N. B. (March 1985). "The 67th Name-List of Variable Stars". Information Bulletin on Variable Stars 2681. Bibcode1985IBVS.2681....1K. 
  13. Hermes, James J. (2013). "Complications to the Planetary Hypothesis for GD 66". AAS Meeting #221. American Astronomical Society. Bibcode2013AAS...22142404H. 
  14. Hermes, J. J. (2012). "8 Years On: A Search for Planets Around Isolated White Dwarfs". Planets around Stellar Remnants. http://www.mpia-hd.mpg.de/PLANETS2012/presentations/Hermes_Talk.pdf.