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On the mass of 40 Eri BNew observations of the gravitational redshift of 40 Eri B are combined with the recent improvement in the parallax determination to derive a mass of 0.53 + or - 0.04 solar masses for the white dwarf. This is much closer to the typical value for white dwarfs, and is consistent with mass-radius relations, but inconsistent with the astrometric mass determination (0.43 + 0.02 solar masses). While the error of the astrometric mass determination might be larger than usually assumed, a discrepancy remains, which cannot be explained. If the high mass could be confirmed, it would remove 40 Eri B as a case in favor of the merging hypothesis for the explanation of the existence of low-mass white dwarfs.
Document ID
19910066080
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Koester, Detlev
(Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, United States)
Weidemann, Volker
(Kiel, Universitaet Institut fuer Theoretische Physik und Sternwarte, Federal Republic of Germany, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 1991
Publication Information
Publication: Astronomical Journal
Volume: 102
ISSN: 0004-6256
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
91A50703
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-2137
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF AST-88-14711
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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