@article{19964, abstract = {It has been suggested that giant planet occurrence peaks for stars with M* ≈ 3 M⊙ at a value a factor of 4 higher than observed for solar-mass stars. This population of giant planets predicted to frequently orbit main-sequence B stars at a ≈ 10 au is difficult to characterize during the few hundred million years while fusion persists in their host stars. By the time those stars become massive, young white dwarfs, any giant planets present would still be luminous as a consequence of their recent formation. From an initial sample of 2195 Gaia-identified massive, young white dwarfs, we use homogeneous Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) photometry to search for evidence of unresolved giant planets. For 30 systems, these IRAC data provide sensitivity to objects with M ≲ 10 MJup, and we identify one candidate with M ≈ 4 MJup orbiting the white dwarf GALEX J071816.4+373139. Correcting for the possibility that some of the white dwarfs in our sample result from mergers, we find a giant planet occurrence n GP = 0.11+0.13-0.07 for stars with initial masses M* ≳ 3 M⊙. Our occurrence inference is consistent with both the Doppler-inferred occurrence of giant planets orbiting M* ≈ 2 M⊙ giant stars and the theoretically predicted factor of 4 enhancement in the occurrence of giant planets orbiting M* ≈ 3 M⊙ stars relative to solar-mass stars. Future James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam observations of our sample would provide sensitivity to Saturn-mass planets and thereby a definitive estimate of the occurrence of giant planets orbiting stars with M* ≳ 3 M⊙.}, author = {Cheng, Sihao and Schlaufman, Kevin C. and Caiazzo, Ilaria}, issn = {1538-3881}, journal = {The Astronomical Journal}, number = {1}, publisher = {IOP Publishing}, title = {{A candidate giant planet companion to the massive, young White Dwarf GALEX J071816.4+373139 informs the occurrence of giant planets orbiting B stars}}, doi = {10.3847/1538-3881/addd21}, volume = {170}, year = {2025}, } @article{20586, abstract = {We present the discovery of deep, irregular, periodic transits toward the white dwarf ZTF J1944+4557 using follow-up time-series photometry and spectroscopy from Palomar, Keck, McDonald, Perkins, and Lowell observatories. We find a predominant period of 4.9704 hr, consistent with an orbit near the Roche limit of the white dwarf, with individual dips over 30% deep and lasting between 15 and 40 minutes. Similar to the first known white dwarf with transiting debris, WD 1145+017, the transit events are well-defined with prominent out-of-transit phases where the white dwarf appears unobscured. Spectroscopy concurrent with transit photometry reveals that the average Ca K equivalent width remains constant in and out of transit. The broadening observed in several absorption features cannot be reproduced by synthetic photospheric models, suggesting the presence of circumstellar gas. Simultaneous g + r- and g + i-band light curves from the CHIMERA instrument reveal no color dependence to the transit depths, requiring transiting dust grains to have sizes s ≳ 0.2 μm. The transit morphologies appear to be constantly changing at a rate faster than the orbital period. Overall transit activity varies in the system, with transit features completely disappearing during the seven months between our 2023 and 2024 observing seasons and then reappearing in 2025 March, still repeating at 4.9704 hr. Our observations of the complete cessation and resumption of transit activity provide a novel laboratory for constraining the evolution of disrupted debris and processes like disk exhaustion and replenishment timescales at white dwarfs.}, author = {Guidry, Joseph A. and Vanderbosch, Zachary P. and Hermes, J. J. and Veras, Dimitri and Hollands, Mark A. and Bhattacharjee, Soumyadeep and Caiazzo, Ilaria and El-Badry, Kareem and Kao, Malia L. and Ould Rouis, Lou Baya and Rodriguez, Antonio C. and Van Roestel, Jan}, issn = {1538-4357}, journal = {The Astrophysical Journal}, number = {2}, publisher = {IOP Publishing}, title = {{Transiting planetary debris near the Roche limit of a white dwarf on a 4.97 hr orbit—and its vanishing}}, doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/adfecb}, volume = {992}, year = {2025}, } @article{20588, abstract = {In this second paper on our variability survey of central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPNe) using the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), we report 11 long-timescale variables with variability timescales ranging from months to years. We also present preliminary analyses based on spectroscopic and/or photometric follow-up observations for six of them. Among them is NGC 6833, which shows a 980 days periodic variability with strange characteristics: “triangle-shaped” brightening in r, i, and WISE bands but almost coincidental shallow dips in the g-band. The most plausible explanation is a wide binary with the photometric period being the orbital period. Long-period near-sinusoidal variability was detected in two other systems, NGC 6905 and Kn 26, with periods of 700 days and 230 days, respectively, making them additional wide-binary candidates. The latter also shows a short period at 1.18 hr. We then present CTSS 2 and K 3-5, which show brightening and significant reddening over the whole ZTF baseline. A stellar model fit to the optical spectrum of CTSS 2 reveals it to be one of the youngest post-AGB CSPNe known. Both show high-density emission-line cores. We propose these to be late-thermal-pulse candidates, currently evolving towards the AGB phase. We then present recent HST/COS ultraviolet spectroscopy of the known wide-binary candidate LoTr 1, showing that the hot star is a spectroscopic twin of the extremely hot white dwarf in UCAC2 46706450. Similar to this object, LoTr 1 also has a fast rotating wide subgiant companion. We suggest that the long photometric period of 11 yr is the binary orbital period. Finally, we briefly discuss the ZTF light curves of the remaining variables, namely Tan 2, K 3-20, WHTZ 3, Kn J1857+3931, and IPHAS J1927+0814. With these examples, we present the effectiveness of the von Neumann statistics and Pearson Skew-based metric space in searching for long-timescale variables.}, author = {Bhattacharjee, Soumyadeep and Reindl, Nicole and Bond, Howard E. and Werner, Klaus and Zeimann, Gregory R. and Jones, David and El-Badry, Kareem and Mackensen, Nina and Chornay, Nicholas and Kulkarni, S. R. and Caiazzo, Ilaria and Van Roestel, Jan and Rodriguez, Antonio C. and Prince, Thomas A. and Rusholme, Ben and Laher, Russ R. and Smith, Roger}, issn = {1538-3873}, journal = {Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific}, number = {10}, publisher = {IOP Publishing}, title = {{Variability of central stars of planetary nebulae with the Zwicky Transient Facility. II. Long-timescale variables including wide binary and late thermal pulse candidates}}, doi = {10.1088/1538-3873/ae051e}, volume = {137}, year = {2025}, } @article{19025, abstract = {A complete understanding of the central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPNe) remains elusive. Over the past several decades, time-series photometry of CSPNe has yielded significant results including, but not limited to, discoveries of nearly 100 binary systems, insights into pulsations and winds in young white dwarfs, and studies of stars undergoing very late thermal pulses. We have undertaken a systematic study of optical photometric variability of cataloged CSPNe, using the light curves from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF). By applying appropriate variability metrics, we arrive at a list of 94 highly variable CSPN candidates. Based on the timescales of the light-curve activity, we classify the variables broadly into short- and long-timescale variables. In this first paper in this series, we focus on the former, which is the majority class comprising 83 objects. We report periods for six sources for the first time, and recover several known periodic variables. Among the aperiodic sources, most exhibit a jitter around a median flux with a stable amplitude, and a few show outbursts. We draw attention to WeSb 1, which shows a different kind of variability: prominent deep and aperiodic dips, resembling transits from a dust/debris disk. We find strong evidence for a binary nature of WeSb 1 (possibly an F-type subgiant companion). The compactness of the emission lines and inferred high electron densities make WeSb 1 a candidate for either an EGB 6-type planetary nucleus, or a symbiotic system inside an evolved planetary nebula, both of which are rare objects. To demonstrate further promise with ZTF, we report three additional newly identified periodic sources that do not appear in the list of highly variable sources. Finally, we also introduce a two-dimensional metric space defined by the von Neumann statistics and Pearson Skew and demonstrate its effectiveness in identifying unique variables of astrophysical interest, like WeSb 1.}, author = {Bhattacharjee, Soumyadeep and Kulkarni, S. R. and Kong, Albert K.H. and Tam, M. S. and Bond, Howard E. and El-Badry, Kareem and Caiazzo, Ilaria and Chornay, Nicholas and Graham, Matthew J. and Rodriguez, Antonio C. and Zeimann, Gregory R. and Fremling, Christoffer and Drake, Andrew J. and Werner, Klaus and Rodriguez, Hector and Prince, Thomas A. and Laher, Russ R. and Chen, Tracy X. and Riddle, Reed}, issn = {0004-6280}, journal = {Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific}, number = {2}, publisher = {IOP Publishing}, title = {{Variability of central stars of planetary nebulae with the zwicky transient facility. I. Methods, short-timescale variables, and the unusual nucleus of WeSb 1}}, doi = {10.1088/1538-3873/ada702}, volume = {137}, year = {2025}, } @article{18709, abstract = {We measure the mass distribution of main-sequence (MS) companions to hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) in post-common envelope binaries (PCEBs). We carried out a spectroscopic survey of 14 eclipsing systems ("HW Vir binaries") with orbital periods of 3.8 < Porb < 12 hr, resulting in a well-understood selection function and a near-complete sample of HW Vir binaries with G < 16. We constrain companion masses from the radial velocity curves of the sdB stars. The companion mass distribution peaks at MMS ≈ 0.15 M⊙ and drops off at MMS > 0.2 M⊙, with only two systems hosting companions above the fully convective limit. There is no correlation between Porb and MMS within the sample. A similar drop-off in the companion mass distribution of white dwarf (WD) + MS PCEBs has been attributed to disrupted magnetic braking (MB) below the fully convective limit. We compare the sdB companion mass distribution to predictions of binary evolution simulations with a range of MB laws. Because sdBs have short lifetimes compared to WDs, explaining the lack of higher-mass MS companions to sdBs with disrupted MB requires MB to be boosted by a factor of 20–100 relative to MB laws inferred from the rotation evolution of single stars. We speculate that such boosting may be a result of irradiation-driven enhancement of the MS stars' winds. An alternative possibility is that common envelope evolution favors low-mass companions in short-period orbits, but the existence of massive WD companions to sdBs with similar periods disfavors this scenario.}, author = {Blomberg, Lisa and El-Badry, Kareem and Breivik, Katelyn and Caiazzo, Ilaria and Nagarajan, Pranav and Rodriguez, Antonio and Van Roestel, Jan and Vanderbosch, Zachary P. and Yamaguchi, Natsuko}, issn = {0004-6280}, journal = {Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific}, number = {12}, publisher = {IOP Publishing}, title = {{The companion mass distribution of post common envelope hot subdwarf binaries: Evidence for boosted and disrupted magnetic braking?}}, doi = {10.1088/1538-3873/ad94a2}, volume = {136}, year = {2024}, } @article{18564, abstract = {The recently discovered Pa 30 nebula, the putative type Iax supernova remnant associated with the historical supernova of 1181 AD, shows puzzling characteristics that make it unique among known supernova remnants. In particular, Pa 30 exhibits a complex morphology, with a unique radial and filamentary structure, and it hosts a hot stellar remnant at its center, which displays oxygen-dominated, ultrafast winds. Because of the surviving stellar remnant and the lack of hydrogen and helium in its filaments, it has been suggested that Pa 30 is the product of a failed thermonuclear explosion in a near- or super-Chandrasekhar white dwarf, which created a subluminous transient, a rare subtype of the Ia class of supernovae called type Iax. We present here a detailed study of the 3D structure and velocities of a full radial section of the remnant. The Integral Field Unit observations, obtained with the new red channel of the Keck Cosmic Web Imager spectrograph, reveal that the ejecta are consistent with being ballistic, with velocities close to the free-expansion velocity. Additionally, we detect a large cavity inside the supernova remnant and a sharp inner edge to the filamentary structure, which coincides with the outer edge of a bright ring detected in infrared images. Finally, we detect a strong asymmetry in the amount of ejecta along the line of sight, which might hint at an asymmetric explosion. Our analysis provides strong confirmation that the explosion originated from SN 1181.}, author = {Cunningham, Tim and Caiazzo, Ilaria and Prusinski, Nikolaus Z. and Fuller, James and Raymond, John C. and Kulkarni, S. R. and Neill, James D. and Duffell, Paul and Martin, Chris and Toloza, Odette and Charbonneau, David and Kenyon, Scott J. and Lin, Zeren and Matuszewski, Mateusz and McGurk, Rosalie and Polin, Abigail and Yao, Philippe Z.}, issn = {2041-8213}, journal = {The Astrophysical Journal Letters}, number = {1}, publisher = {IOP Publishing}, title = {{Expansion properties of the young supernova type Iax remnant Pa 30 revealed}}, doi = {10.3847/2041-8213/ad713b}, volume = {975}, year = {2024}, }