Projected rotational velocities of WD1614+136 and WD1353+409 - implications for the rate of galactic Type Ia supernovae

Abstract

The white dwarf stars WD1614+136 and WD1353+409 are not sufficiently massive to have formed through single star evolution. However, observations to date have not yet found any evidence for binarity. It has therefore been suggested that these stars are the result of a merger. In this paper we place an upper limit of approximately 50kms on the projected rotational velocities of both stars. This suggests that, if these stars are the results of a merger, efficient angular momentum loss with accompanying mass loss must have occurred. If the same process occurs following the merging of more massive white dwarf stars, the predicted rate of Type Ia supernovae due to merging white dwarfs may have been greatly over-estimated. Further observations to determine binarity in WD1614+136 and WD1353+409 are therefore encouraged.

3 pages. 1 figure

Cited by in corpus (9)

• The Formation Rate, Mass and Luminosity Functions of DA White Dwarfs from the Palomar Green Survey
• The frequency of planetary debris around young white dwarfs
• Cooling Models for Old White Dwarfs
• The Future is Now: the Formation of Single Low Mass White Dwarfs in the Solar Neighborhood
• Radial velocity measurements of white dwarfs
• Is Galactic Dark Matter White ?
• A Helium White Dwarf of Extremely Low Mass
• A Spitzer Search for Infrared Excesses around Massive Young White Dwarfs
• A Spitzer Search for Substellar Companions to Low Mass White Dwarfs