Spitzer 24 um Survey for Dust Disks around Hot White Dwarfs

TL;DR

This study used Spitzer 24 um observations to identify dust disks around hot white dwarfs and their progenitors, revealing a significant occurrence of dust excesses especially in planetary nebula central stars.

Contribution

First systematic survey of hot WDs and pre-WDs for 24 um dust excesses, highlighting the prevalence around PNe central stars and providing follow-up spectral data.

Findings

~15% detection rate of 24 um excesses in the sample

~20% of WDs in PNe show 24 um excesses

Detection of dust emission in follow-up IRS spectra

Abstract

Two types of dust disks around white dwarfs (WDs) have been reported: small dust disks around cool metal-rich WDs consisting of tidally disrupted asteroids, and a large dust disk around the hot central WD of the Helix planetary nebula (PN) possibly produced by collisions among Kuiper Belt-like objects. To search for more dust disks of the latter type, we have conducted a Spitzer MIPS 24 um survey of 71 hot WDs or pre-WDs, among which 35 are central stars of PNe (CSPNs). Nine of these evolved stars are detected and their 24 um flux densities are at least two orders of magnitude higher than their expected photospheric emission. Considering the bias against detection of distant objects, the 24 um detection rate for the sample is >~15%. It is striking that seven, or ~20%, of the WD and pre-WDs in known PNe exhibit 24 um excesses, while two, or 5-6%, of the WDs not in PNe show 24 um excesses and they have the lowest 24 um flux densities. We have obtained follow-up Spitzer IRS spectra for five objects. Four show clear continuum emission at 24 um, and one is overwhelmed by a bright neighboring star but still show a hint of continuum emission. In the cases of WD 0950+139 and CSPN K1-22, a late-type companion is present, making it difficult to determine whether the excess 24 um emission is associated with the WD or its red companion. High-resolution images in the mid-IR are needed to establish unambiguously the stars responsible for the 24 um excesses.