Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

X-ray emission from isolated hot white dwarfs

  • Published:
Space Science Reviews Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Hot white dwarfs are objects that copiously emit in the Extreme Ultraviolet and soft X-ray range. They are the brightest sources seen in the Low Energy Telescope of EXOSAT, with countrates up to 25 cnts/s. in contrast to their optical and UV spectrum the total flux and spectral distribution at soft X-ray energies are highly sensitive to the effective temperature, structure and elemental composition of the dwarf's atmosphere. The imaging soft X-ray experiments onboard EXOSAT cover with large sensitivity the spectral region where the peak of emission of hot white dwarfs is expected to occur.

I here review some of the (preliminary) results obtained so far with broadband X-ray photometry on a dozen or so white dwarfs, and some of the high-resolution spectra obtained for three white dwarfs with the grating spectrometers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alcock, C., and Illarionov, A., 1980, Ap.J., 235,p. 534 and p. 541.

    Google Scholar 

  • Auer, L. H., Shipman, H. L., 1977, Ap. J. (Letters). 211, L103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bleeker, J. A. M., et al., 1978, Astron. Astrophys., 69, 145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohm, K. H. and Cassinelli, J., 1971, Astron. Astroph., 12, 21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohm-Vitense, E., et al., 1979, Ap. J. (Letters). 232, L189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brune, W. H., Feldman, P. D., Mount, G. H., 1978, Ap. J. (Letters). 225, L67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, W., Bowyer, S., and Lampton, M., 1978, Ap. J. (Letters), 221, L87.

    Google Scholar 

  • D'Antona, F., Mazzitelli, I., 1978, Nature 275, 726

    Google Scholar 

  • Fontaine, G., et al., 1974, Ap.J., 193, 205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fontaine, G., Michaud, G., 1979, Ap. J., 231, 826.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hearn, A. G., Mewe, R., 1976, Astron. Astrophys. Lett., 50, 319

    Google Scholar 

  • Hearn, D. R., et. al., 1976, Ap. J. (Letters). 203, L21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heise, J. and Huizenga, H., 1980, Astron. Astroph., 84, 280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heise., J., Bleeker, J. A. M., Brinkman, A. C., Gronenschild, E., Paerels, F., Grewing, M., Wulf-Mathies, C., Beuermann, K., 1984, in press

  • Holberg, J. B., Wesemael, F., Hubeny, I., 1984, in press

  • Husfeld, D., Kudritski, R. P., Simon, K. P., Clegg, R., 1984, Astron. Astrophys. 134, 139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahn, S. M., Wesemael, F., Liebert, J., Raymond, J.C., Steiner, J. E., Shipman, H. L., 1984, 278, 255.

  • Koester, D., 1978, Astron. Astroph., 65, 449.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lampton, M., and Mewe, R., 1979, Astron. Astroph., 78, 104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lampton, M., Margon, B., Paresce, F., Stern, R., Bowyer, S., 1976, Ap. J., (Letters), 203, L71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liebert, J., Margon, M., 1977, Ap.J., 216, 18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liebert, J., 1980, Ann. Rev. Astr. Ap., 18, 363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Margon, B., Malina, R., Bowyer, S., Cruddace, R., Lampton, M., 1976a, Ap. J. (Letters). 203, L25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Margon, B., Liebert, J., Gatewood, G., Lampton, M., Spinrad, H., Bowyer, S., 1976b, Ap. J., 209. 525.

    Google Scholar 

  • Margon, B., Lampton, M., Bowyer, S., Ster, R., Paresce, F., 1976c, Ap. J. (Letters), 210, L79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malina, R. F., Bowyer, S., Basri, G., 1982, Ap. J., 262, 717

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, C., Basri, G., Lampton, M., 1982, Ap. J. (Letters), 261, L81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mewe, R., et al., 1975a, Nature Phys. Sci., 256, 711.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mewe, R., et al., 1975b, Ap. J. (Letters). 202, L67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muchmore, D., 1982, Ap. J., 259, 749.

    Google Scholar 

  • Savedoff, M. P., et al., 1976, Ap. J. (Letters). 207, L45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaviv, G., 1979, in IAU Col. 53, White Dwarfs and variable degenerate stars Ed. H. M. Van Horn and V. Weidemann. Rochester, N. Y., Univ. of Rochester Press, p. 11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shipman, H. L., 1976, Ap. J. (Letters). 206, L67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shipman, H. L., Margon, B., Bowyer, S., Lampton, M., Paresce, F., Stern, R., 1977, Ap. J. (Letters). 213, L25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Topka, K. P., 1980, thesis “X-ray observations of stellar Coronae” Harvard University.

  • Vaiana, G.S., et al., 1981, Ap. J., 245, 163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vauclair, G. and Fontaine, G., 1979, Ap. J., 230, 563.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vauclair, G., Vauclair, S., and Michaud, G., 1978, Ap. J., 223, 920.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wesemael, F., Auer, L. H., van Horn, H. M. and Savedoff, M. P., 1980, Ap. J. (Suppl.), 43,p. 159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wesemael, F., 1981, Ap. J. (Suppl.). 45, 117.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Space Research, Utrecht, Beneluxiaan 21, 3527 HS, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    John Heise

Authors
  1. John Heise
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Heise, J. X-ray emission from isolated hot white dwarfs. Space Sci Rev 40, 79–90 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212870

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212870

Keywords

Search

Navigation