Magnetic dynamos in white dwarfs – III. Explaining the occurrence of strong magnetic fields in close double white dwarfs

Author:

Schreiber Matthias R12,Belloni Diogo1ORCID,Zorotovic Monica3,Zapata Sarai1,Gänsicke Boris T4ORCID,Parsons Steven G5ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile

2. Millennium Nucleus for Planet Formation, NPF, Valparaíso, Chile

3. Instituto de Física y Astronomía, Universidad de Valparaíso, Avenida Gran Bretaña 1111, Valparaíso, Chile

4. Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK

5. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK

Abstract

ABSTRACT The origin of strong ($\stackrel{\gt }{\scriptstyle \sim }1\,\mathrm{ MG}$) magnetic fields in white dwarfs has been a puzzle for decades. Recently, a dynamo mechanism operating in rapidly rotating and crystallizing white dwarfs has been suggested to explain the occurrence rates of strong magnetic fields in white dwarfs with close low-mass main-sequence star companions. Here, we investigate whether the same mechanism may produce strong magnetic fields in close double white dwarfs. The only known strongly magnetic white dwarf that is part of a close double white dwarf system, the magnetic component of NLTT 12758, is rapidly rotating and likely crystallizing and therefore the proposed dynamo mechanism represents an excellent scenario for the origin of its magnetic field. Presenting a revised formation scenario for NLTT 12758, we find a natural explanation for the rapid rotation of the magnetic component. We furthermore show that it is not surprising that strong magnetic fields have not been detected in all other known double white dwarfs. We therefore conclude that the incidence of magnetic fields in close double white dwarfs supports the idea that a rotation- and crystallization-driven dynamo plays a major role in the generation of strong magnetic fields in white dwarfs.

Funder

FONDECYT

ANID

STFC

European Research Council

Horizon 2020

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Space and Planetary Science,Astronomy and Astrophysics

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