Parsons, S. G., Marsh, T. R., Gaensicke, B. T. (Boris T.) and Tappert, Claus. (2011) A stellar prominence in the white dwarf/red dwarf binary QS Vir : evidence for a detached system. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol.412 (No.4). pp. 2563-2570. ISSN 0035-8711

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Abstract

Using high-resolution Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) spectra of the eclipsing post-common envelope binary QS Vir, we detect material along the line of sight to the white dwarf at orbital phase ϕ= 0.16. We ascribe this to a stellar prominence originating from the M dwarf secondary star which passes in front of the white dwarf at this phase. This creates sharp absorption features in the hydrogen Balmer series and Ca ii H&K lines. The small size of the white dwarf allows us to place tight constraints on the column density of hydrogen in the n= 2 level of log 10 N2= 14.10 ± 0.03 cm−2 and, assuming local thermodynamical equilibrium, the temperature of the prominence material of ∼9000 K. The prominence material is at least 1.5 stellar radii from the surface of the M dwarf. The location of the prominence is consistent with emission features previously interpreted as evidence for Roche lobe overflow in the system. We also detect Mg ii 4481 Å absorption from the white dwarf. The width of the Mg ii line indicates that the white dwarf is not rapidly rotating, in contrast to previous work, hence our data indicate that QS Vir is a pre-cataclysmic binary, yet to initiate mass transfer, rather than a hibernating cataclysmic variable as has been suggested.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Stellar activity, Circumstellar matter, Stars -- Corona, Cool stars, White dwarf stars, Red dwarf stars
Journal or Publication Title:	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	0035-8711
Official Date:	April 2011
Volume:	Vol.412
Number:	No.4
Page Range:	pp. 2563-2570
Identification Number:	10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.18073.x
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/39758

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

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