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Title:
Temperature and cooling age of the white dwarf companion of PSR J0218+4232
Authors:
Bassa, C. G.; van Kerkwijk, M. H.; Kulkarni, S. R.
Affiliation:
AA(Astronomical Institute, Utrecht University, PO Box 80000, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands), AB(Astronomical Institute, Utrecht University, PO Box 80000, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands), AC(Palomar Observatory, California Institute of Technology 105-24, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA)
Publication:
Astronomy and Astrophysics, v.403, p.1067-1075 (2003) (A&A Homepage)
Publication Date:
06/2003
Origin:
A&A
A&A Keywords:
pulsars: individual: PSR J0218+4232, stars: neutron stars: white dwarfs
DOI:
10.1051/0004-6361:20030384
Bibliographic Code:
2003A&A...403.1067B

Abstract

We report on Keck optical BVRI images and spectroscopy of the companion of the binary millisecond pulsar PSR J0218+4232. A faint bluish (V=24.2, B-V=0.25) counterpart is observed at the pulsar location. Spectra of this counterpart reveal Balmer lines which confirm that the companion is a helium-core white dwarf. We find that the white dwarf has a temperature of Teff=8060+/-150 K. Unfortunately, the spectra are of insufficient quality to put a strong constraint on the surface gravity, although the best fit is for low log g and hence low mass (~0.2 Msun), as expected. We compare predicted white dwarf cooling ages with the characteristic age of the pulsar and find similar values for white dwarf masses of 0.19 to 0.3 Msun. These masses would imply a distance of 2.5 to 4 kpc to the system. The spectroscopic observations also enable us to estimate the mass ratio between the white dwarf and the pulsar. We find q=7.5+/-2.4, which is consistent with the current knowledge of white dwarf companions to millisecond pulsars.
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