BPM 37093

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BPM 37093
V886CenLightCurve.png
A light curve for V886 Centauri, adapted from Kanaan et al. (1992) [1]
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0        Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Centaurus
Right ascension 12h 38m 49.78112s [2]
Declination −49° 48′ 00.2195″ [2]
Apparent magnitude  (V)14.0 [3]
Characteristics
Spectral type DAV4.4 [4]
Variable type DAV (ZZ Ceti) [4]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−12 [4] km/s
Proper motion (μ)RA: -557.111 mas/yr [2]
Dec.: -74.036 mas/yr [2]
Parallax (π)67.4058±0.0186  mas [2]
Distance 48.39 ± 0.01  ly
(14.836 ± 0.004  pc)
Details [5]
Mass 1.160±0.014  M☉
Radius 0.00583+0.00081
−0.00080  R☉
Luminosity 5.62+0.13
−0.12×10−4  L☉
Surface gravity (log g)8.970±0.005  cgs
Temperature 11,650±40  K
Other designations
V886  Cen, BPM 37093, GJ  2095, LFT 931, LHS 2594, LTT 4816, WD 1236-495 [3]
Database references
SIMBAD data
ARICNS data

BPM 37093 (V886 Centauri) is a variable white dwarf star of the DAV, or ZZ Ceti, type, with a hydrogen atmosphere and an unusually high mass of approximately 1.1 times the Sun's. It is 48 light-years (15 parsecs ) from Earth in the constellation Centaurus and vibrates; these pulsations cause its luminosity to vary. [3] [6] Like other white dwarfs, BPM 37093 is thought to be composed primarily of carbon and oxygen, which are created by thermonuclear fusion of helium nuclei in the triple-alpha process. [7]

Contents

Structure

In the 1960s, it was predicted that as a white dwarf cools, its material should crystallize, starting at the center. [8] When a star pulsates, observing its pulsations gives information about its structure. BPM 37093 was first observed to be a pulsating variable in 1992, [1] and in 1995 it was pointed out that this yielded a potential test of the crystallization theory. [9] In 2004, Antonio Kanaan and a team of researchers of the Whole Earth Telescope estimated, on the basis of these asteroseismological observations, that approximately 90% of the mass of BPM 37093 had crystallized. [6] [8] [10] Other work gives a crystallized mass fraction of between 32% and 82%. [11] Any of these estimates would result in a total crystalline mass in excess of 5×1029 kilograms. As the white dwarf has a radius of 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi), this means that the core of BPM 37093, nicknamed Lucy, is likely one of the largest diamonds in the local region of the universe. [12] [13]

Body-centered cubic lattice Lattice body centered cubic.svg
Body-centered cubic lattice

Crystallization of the material of a white dwarf of this type is thought to result in a body-centered cubic lattice of carbon and/or oxygen nuclei, which are surrounded by a Fermi sea of electrons. [14]

Nickname and press coverage

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Kanaan, A.; Kepler, S. O.; Giovannini, O.; Diaz, M. (10 March 1992). "The Discovery of a New DAV Star Using IUE Temperature Determination". The Astrophysical Journal. 390: L89 –L91. Bibcode:1992ApJ...390L..89K. doi:10.1086/186379. hdl: 10183/108720 . Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv: 2208.00211 . Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202243940 . S2CID   244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  3. 1 2 3 "WG 22". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved April 1, 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 A Catalog of Spectroscopically Identified White Dwarfs Archived 2018-08-08 at the Wayback Machine , George P. McCook and Edward M. Sion, Astrophysical Journal Supplement121, #1 (March 1999), pp. 1–130. CDS ID III/210 Archived 2013-10-22 at the Wayback Machine .
  5. ↑ Córsico, Alejandro H.; Gerónimo, Francisco C. De; Camisassa, María E.; Althaus, Leandro G. (2019-12-01). "Asteroseismological analysis of the ultra-massive ZZ Ceti stars BPM 37093, GD 518, and SDSS J0840+5222". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 632: A119. arXiv: 1910.07385 . doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201936698. ISSN   0004-6361.
  6. 1 2 Whole Earth Telescope observations of BPM 37093: a seismological test of crystallization theory in white dwarfs, A. Kanaan, A. Nitta, D. E. Winget, S. O. Kepler, M. H. Montgomery, T. S. Metcalfe, et al., Astronomy and Astrophysics432, #1 (March 2005), pp. 219–224. Bibcode:2005A&A...432..219K doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041125.
  7. ↑ Late stages of evolution for low-mass stars Archived 2020-06-11 at the Wayback Machine , Michael Richmond, lecture notes, Physics 230, Rochester Institute of Technology, accessed online May 3, 2007.
  8. 1 2 Testing White Dwarf Crystallization Theory with Asteroseismology of the Massive Pulsating DA Star BPM 37093, T. S. Metcalfe, M. H. Montgomery, and A. Kanaan, Astrophysical Journal605, #2 (April 2004), pp. L133–L136. Bibcode:2004ApJ...605L.133M
  9. ↑ The Status of White Dwarf Asteroseismology and a Glimpse of the Road Ahead, D. E. Winget, Baltic Astronomy4 (1995), pp. 129–136. Bibcode:1995BaltA...4..129W
  10. 1 2 "BBC News: Diamond star thrills astronomers". 16 February 2004. Archived from the original on 2007-02-05. Retrieved 2007-02-26. Press release Archived 2013-12-25 at the Wayback Machine , 2004, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
  11. ↑ P. Brassard, G. Fontaine, Asteroseismology of the Crystallized ZZ Ceti Star BPM 37093: A Different View, Astrophysical Journal622, #1, pp. 572–576. Bibcode:2005ApJ...622..572B
  12. ↑ "This Valentine's Day, Give The Woman Who Has Everything The Galaxy's Largest Diamond". Center for Astrophysics. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2009.
  13. ↑ "Lucy's in the Sky with Diamonds: Meet the Most Expensive Star Ever Found". Futurism. 12 June 2014. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  14. ↑ Crystallization of carbon-oxygen mixtures in white dwarfs, J. L. Barrat, J. P. Hansen, and R. Mochkovitch, Astronomy and Astrophysics199, #1–2 (June 1988), pp. L15–L18. Bibcode : 1988A&A...199L..15B
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