Open AccessProjected rotational velocities of WD 1614+136 and WD 1353+409: implications for the rate of Galactic Type Ia supernovae
Author(s) -
Maxted P. F. L.,
Marsh T. R.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.1998.01651.x
Subject(s) - physics , white dwarf , supernova , astrophysics , stars , astronomy , angular momentum , quantum mechanics
The white dwarf stars WD 1614+136 and WD 1353+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 ≈ 50 km s −1 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 overestimated. Further observations to determine binarity in WD 1614+136 and WD 1353+409 are therefore encouraged.