The only known white dwarf orbited by planetary fragments has been analyzed

20/09/2018
The article, published recently in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), confirms the ongoing evolution of the transits produced by remnants of a planetesimal orbiting the white dwarf WD 1145+017. This “debris” passes in front of the star every 4.5 hours, blocking a fraction of the light from the star. Continuous interaction and fragmentation of these chunks of debris brings about major changes in the depth and the shape of the observed transits. Paula Izquierdo, Severo Ochoa doctoral student, is the lead author of the paper. >> Read more