2013 Articles
The runaway binary LP 400−22 is leaving the Galaxy
We present optical spectroscopy, astrometry, radio and X-ray observations of the runaway binary LP 400−22. We refine the orbital parameters of the system based on our new radial velocity observations. Our parallax data indicate that LP 400−22 is significantly more distant (3σ lower limit of 840 pc) than initially predicted. LP 400−22 has a tangential velocity in excess of 830 km s^−1; it is unbound to the Galaxy. Our radio and X-ray observations fail to detect a recycled millisecond pulsar companion, indicating that LP 400−22 is a double white dwarf system. This essentially rules out a supernova runaway ejection mechanism. Based on its orbit, a Galactic Centre origin is also unlikely. However, its orbit intersects the locations of several globular clusters; dynamical interactions between LP 400−22 and other binary stars or a central black hole in a dense cluster could explain the origin of this unusual binary.
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Also Published In
- Title
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1282
More About This Work
- Academic Units
- Astronomy
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Published Here
- March 25, 2014