Detectability of substellar companions around white dwarfs with Gaia [SSA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1412.3307


To date not a single-bona fide planet has been identified orbiting a single white dwarf. In fact we are ignorant about the final configuration of >95% of planetary systems. Theoretical models predict a gap in the final distribution of orbital periods, due to the opposite effects of stellar mass loss (planets pushed outwards) and tidal interactions (planets pushed inwards) during the RGB and the AGB stellar expansions. Over its five year primary mission, Gaia is expected to astrometrically detect the first (few tens of) WD massive planets/BDs giving first evidence that WD planets exist, at least those in wide orbits. In this article we present preliminary results of our simulations of what Gaia should be able to find in this field.

Read this paper on arXiv…

R. Silvotti, A. Sozzetti, M. Lattanzi, et. al.
Thu, 11 Dec 14
36/48

Comments: Proceedings of the 19th European Workshop on White Dwarfs (Montr\’eal 11-15 August 2014). To appear on ASP Conference Series; 4 pages, 2 figures