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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
earth and planetary sciences
SDSS J080449.49+161624.8: A peculiar AM CVn star from a colour-selected sample of candidates
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 394, No. 1, Year 2009
Notification
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Description
We describe a spectroscopic survey designed to uncover an estimated ∼40 AM Canum Venaticorum (AM CVn) stars hiding in the photometric data base of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have constructed a relatively small sample of about 1500 candidates based on a colour selection, which should contain the majority of all AM CVn binaries while remaining small enough that spectroscopic identification of the full sample is feasible. We present the first new AM CVn star discovered using this strategy, SDSS J080449.49+161624.8, the ultracompact binary nature of which is demonstrated using high-time-resolution spectroscopy obtained with the Magellan telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. A kinematic 'S-wave' feature is observed on a period Porb = 44.5 ± 0.1 min, which we propose is the orbital period, although the present data cannot yet exclude its nearest daily aliases. The new AM CVn star shows a peculiar spectrum of broad, single-peaked helium emission lines with unusually strong series of ionized helium, reminiscent of the (intermediate) polars among the hydrogen-rich cataclysmic variables. We speculate that SDSS J0804+1616 may be the first magnetic AM CVn star. The accreted material appears to be enriched in nitrogen, to N/O ≳ 10 and N/C > 10 by number, indicating CNO cycle hydrogen burning, but no helium burning, in the prior evolution of the donor star. © 2009 RAS.
Authors & Co-Authors
Roelofs, Gijs H.A.
United States, Cambridge
Harvard-smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Groot, Paul J.
Netherlands, Nijmegen
Radboud Universiteit
Steeghs, Daniel T.H.
United Kingdom, Coventry
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine
Rau, Arne
United States, Pasadena
California Institute of Technology
de Groot, Eelco
Netherlands, Nijmegen
Radboud Universiteit
Marsh, Thomas R.
United Kingdom, Coventry
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine
Nelemans, Gijs A.
Netherlands, Nijmegen
Radboud Universiteit
Liebert, James W.
United States, Tucson
The University of Arizona
Woudt, P. A.
South Africa, Cape Town
University of Cape Town
Statistics
Citations: 27
Authors: 9
Affiliations: 6
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.14288.x
ISSN:
00358711
e-ISSN:
13652966
Research Areas
Environmental
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Quantitative