Chandra Release - December 17, 2013

Visual Description: J075141 and J174140

 This is an artist's illustration of two binary star systems, J075141 and J174140. Binary stars are two celestial objects that orbit each other due to their mutual gravitational attraction. In this concept, the stars are shown in different stages of their orbit and evolution, with one star appearing much larger than the other and both a bright blue-white color. The two binary systems were observed in X-rays by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton telescope. Observations at optical wavelengths were made using the McDonald Observatory's 2.1-meter telescope in Texas, and the Mt. John Observatory 1.0-meter telescope in New Zealand.  The artist's illustration depicts what these systems are like now and what may happen to them in the future. The top panel shows the current state of the binary that contains one white dwarf (on the right) with about one-fifth the mass of the Sun and another much heavier and more compact white dwarf about five or more times as massive (unlike Sun-like stars, heavier white dwarfs are smaller).  As the two white dwarfs orbit around each other, gravitational waves will be given off causing the orbit to become tighter. Eventually the smaller, heavier white dwarf will start pulling matter from the larger, lighter one, as shown in the middle panel, forming a so-called AM CVn system. This process continues until so much matter accumulates on the more massive white dwarf that a thermonuclear explosion may occur in about 100 million years.