Polluted white dwarf Archives - Astrobiology

Schematic showing the distribution of the modeled volatile gas (e.g., water vapor) disk and water ice disk around a WD. The rocky dust disk and their observationally inferred properties are also summarized. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Status Report

Detecting Water Ice And Vapor Disks Originating From Icy Planetary Bodies Around White Dwarfs With Future PRIMA Observations

by Keith CowingSeptember 3, 2025

Observations of atmospheres of polluted white dwarfs provide insights into the elemental composition of accreted exoplanets and exo-asteroids.

The distribution of accretion parameters relative to steady state derived from the posteriors of the MCMC tests, separated based on the dominant atmospheric species.

Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Stellar Cartography

Do White Dwarfs Sample Water-Rich Planetary Material?

by Keith CowingSeptember 2, 2025September 2, 2025

Polluted white dwarfs offer a unique way to directly probe the compositions of exoplanetary bodies.