A rotating white dwarf shows different compositions on its opposite faces

Ilaria Caiazzo (), Kevin B. Burdge, Pier-Emmanuel Tremblay, James Fuller, Lilia Ferrario, Boris T. Gänsicke, J. J. Hermes, Jeremy Heyl, Adela Kawka, S. R. Kulkarni, Thomas R. Marsh, Przemek Mróz, Thomas A. Prince, Harvey B. Richer, Antonio C. Rodriguez, Jan Roestel, Zachary P. Vanderbosch, Stéphane Vennes, Dayal Wickramasinghe, Vikram S. Dhillon, Stuart P. Littlefair, James Munday, Ingrid Pelisoli, Daniel Perley, Eric C. Bellm, Elmé Breedt, Alex J. Brown, Richard Dekany, Andrew Drake, Martin J. Dyer, Matthew J. Graham, Matthew J. Green, Russ R. Laher, Paul Kerry, Steven G. Parsons, Reed L. Riddle, Ben Rusholme and Dave I. Sahman
Additional contact information
Ilaria Caiazzo: California Institute of Technology
Kevin B. Burdge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Pier-Emmanuel Tremblay: University of Warwick
James Fuller: California Institute of Technology
Lilia Ferrario: The Australian National University
Boris T. Gänsicke: University of Warwick
J. J. Hermes: Boston University
Jeremy Heyl: University of British Columbia
Adela Kawka: Curtin University
S. R. Kulkarni: California Institute of Technology
Thomas R. Marsh: University of Warwick
Przemek Mróz: University of Warsaw
Thomas A. Prince: California Institute of Technology
Harvey B. Richer: University of British Columbia
Antonio C. Rodriguez: California Institute of Technology
Jan Roestel: California Institute of Technology
Zachary P. Vanderbosch: California Institute of Technology
Stéphane Vennes: The Australian National University
Dayal Wickramasinghe: The Australian National University
Vikram S. Dhillon: University of Sheffield
Stuart P. Littlefair: University of Sheffield
James Munday: University of Warwick
Ingrid Pelisoli: University of Warwick
Daniel Perley: Liverpool John Moores University
Eric C. Bellm: University of Washington
Elmé Breedt: University of Cambridge
Alex J. Brown: University of Sheffield
Richard Dekany: California Institute of Technology
Andrew Drake: California Institute of Technology
Martin J. Dyer: University of Sheffield
Matthew J. Graham: California Institute of Technology
Matthew J. Green: Tel Aviv University
Russ R. Laher: California Institute of Technology
Paul Kerry: University of Sheffield
Steven G. Parsons: University of Sheffield
Reed L. Riddle: California Institute of Technology
Ben Rusholme: California Institute of Technology
Dave I. Sahman: University of Sheffield

Nature, 2023, vol. 620, issue 7972, 61-66

Abstract: Abstract White dwarfs, the extremely dense remnants left behind by most stars after their death, are characterized by a mass comparable to that of the Sun compressed into the size of an Earth-like planet. In the resulting strong gravity, heavy elements sink towards the centre and the upper layer of the atmosphere contains only the lightest element present, usually hydrogen or helium1,2. Several mechanisms compete with gravitational settling to change a white dwarf’s surface composition as it cools3, and the fraction of white dwarfs with helium atmospheres is known to increase by a factor of about 2.5 below a temperature of about 30,000 kelvin4–8; therefore, some white dwarfs that appear to have hydrogen-dominated atmospheres above 30,000 kelvin are bound to transition to be helium-dominated as they cool below it. Here we report observations of ZTF J203349.8+322901.1, a transitioning white dwarf with two faces: one side of its atmosphere is dominated by hydrogen and the other one by helium. This peculiar nature is probably caused by the presence of a small magnetic field, which creates an inhomogeneity in temperature, pressure or mixing strength over the surface9–11. ZTF J203349.8+322901.1 might be the most extreme member of a class of magnetic, transitioning white dwarfs—together with GD 323 (ref. 12), a white dwarf that shows similar but much more subtle variations. This class of white dwarfs could help shed light on the physical mechanisms behind the spectral evolution of white dwarfs.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06171-9

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