A targeted search for binary white dwarf pulsars using <i>Gaia</i> and WISE
ABSTRACT After its discovery in 2016, the white dwarf binary AR Scorpii (AR Sco) remained for several years the only white dwarf system to show pulsed radio emission associated with a fast-spinning white dwarf. The evolutionary origin and the emission mechanism for AR Sco are not completely understood, with different models proposed. Testing and improving these models requires observational input. Here, we report the results of a targeted search for other binary white dwarf pulsars like AR Sco. Using data from Gaia and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), we identified 56 candidate systems with similar properties to AR Sco, of which 26 were previously uncharacterized. These were subject to spectroscopic and photometric follow-up observations. Aside from one new binary white dwarf pulsar found, J191213.72−441045.1, which was reported in a separate work, we find no other systems whose characteristics are akin to AR Sco. The newly characterized systems are primarily young stellar objects (with 10 found) or cataclysmic variables (7 identifications), with the remaining being either blended or non-variable on short time-scales.
Authors
- S. P. Littlefair (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7221-855X)
- James Munday (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1872-5398)
- R. P. Ashley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1210-4144)
- J. McCormac (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1631-4170)
- S. O. Kepler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7470-5703)
- Noel Castro Segura (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5870-0443)
- Mark R Kennedy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6894-6044)
- Deborah Jarvis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0133-1771)
- Keith Inight (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2200-2416)
- D. I. Sahman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0403-1547)
- G. Tovmassian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2953-7528)
- Franz-Josef Hambsch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0125-8700)
- D. A. H. Buckley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7004-9956)
- Stephen B Potter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5956-2249)
- Ingrid Pelisoli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4615-6556)
- V. S. Dhillon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4236-9642)
- Martin J. Dyer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3665-5482)
- S. G. Parsons (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2695-2654)
- A. Aungwerojwit (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5686-5650)
- Larissa Antunes Amaral (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5244-5907)
- T. R. Marsh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2498-7589)
- Matthew Green (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0948-4801)
- J. A. Garbutt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5535-3312)
- P. Kerry
- Boris T. Gänsicke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2761-3005)
- Alex Brown (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3316-7240)
- E. R. Pike
Institutions
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (BR)
- United States Department of State (US)
- Valparaiso University (US)
- University of Cape Town (ZA)
- Universität Hamburg (DE)
- Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (MX)
- American Association of Variable Star Observers (US)
- University of Johannesburg (ZA)
- University of the Free State (ZA)
- University College Cork (IE)
- University of Warwick (GB)
- Bundesdeutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Veränderliche Sterne (DE)
- Universidad de Playa Ancha de Ciencias de la Educación (CL)
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (DE)
- Physical Sciences (United States) (US)
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (ZA)
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (ES)
- Astronomical Observatory (RS)
- Stichting tot Steun VCVGZ (NL)
- Liverpool John Moores University (GB)
- Naresuan University (TH)
- University of Valparaíso (CL)
- University of Sheffield (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Published
- 2025-05-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf761
- Primary Topic
- Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand
- European Commission
- Naresuan University
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
- Science and Technology Facilities Council