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The incidence of magnetism among white dwarfs: The first stars below 100 kilogaussA survey for magnetic fields among a magnitude-limited sample of DA white dwarfs has identified two stars with weak circular polarization features across the profiles of H(alpha) and H(beta) WD 1350-090 (LP 907-037) was found to have a disk-averaged longitudinal field component B(sub e) = +85 +/- 9 kG at one epoch, while WD 0009+501 (G 217-037) has been measured on several occasions at values between B(sub e) approximately 0 and nearly -100 kG. The latter results imply an oblique rotator with a period between 2 and 20 hr. Magnetism on white dwarfs has now been detected over more than four orders of magnitude in strength. Assuming flux conservation, the new discoveries imply organized field patterns near the end of the main-sequence phase of only approximately 10 G. However, the overall incidence of magnetism among white dwarfs remains low, with more than 90% of stars having fields below approximately 10 kG. There is tentative evidence from line profile analysis that WD 1350-090 is a high-mass object (M greater than 1 solar mass), but an accurate parallax and more thorough spectroscopic study are required.
Document ID
19950033077
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Schmidt, Gary D.
(University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ United States)
Smith, Paul S.
(University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
March 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters
Volume: 423
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0004-637X
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
95A64676
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-1630
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF AST-91-14087
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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