SPECTROSCOPIC EVIDENCE FOR A 5.4 MINUTE ORBITAL PERIOD IN HM CANCRI

• Published in: Astrophysical journal. Letters Vol. 711; no. 2
• Main Authors: Roelofs, Gijs H. A., Rau, Arne, Marsh, Tom R., Steeghs, Danny, Groot, Paul J., Nelemans, Gijs
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 10.03.2010
• Subjects: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; BINARY STARS; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE; GRAVITATIONAL WAVES; HELIUM; MASS; RADIAL VELOCITY; SPECTROSCOPY; STAR EVOLUTION; WHITE DWARF STARS

HM Cancri is a candidate ultracompact binary white dwarf with an apparent orbital period of only 5.4 minutes, as suggested by X-ray and optical light-curve modulations on that period, and by the absence of longer-period variability. In this Letter, we present Keck-I spectroscopy which shows clear mo...