A Predicted Astrometric Microlensing Event by a Nearby White Dwarf

Abstract

We used the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution catalogue, part of the Gaia Data Release 1, to search for candidate astrometric microlensing events expected to occur within the remaining lifetime of the Gaia satellite. Our search yielded one promising candidate. We predict that the nearby DQ type white dwarf LAWD 37 (WD 1142-645) will lens a background star and will reach closest approach on November 11th 2019 ($\pm$ 4 days) with impact parameter $380\pm 10$ mas. This will produce an apparent maximum deviation of the source position of $2.8\pm 0.1$ mas. In the most propitious circumstance, Gaia will be able to determine the mass of LAWD 37 to $\sim 3\%$. This mass determination will provide an independent check on atmospheric models of white dwarfs with helium rich atmospheres, as well as tests of white dwarf mass radius relationships and evolutionary theory.

arXiv comment5 pages, MNRAS (Letters), accepted

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