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X-ray Signal Points to Destroyed Planet, Chandra Finds
- A white dwarf at the center of a planetary nebula may have destroyed a planet, explaining a mysterious X-ray signal detected from the Helix Nebula over 40 years.
- Composite image with X-rays from Chandra, optical data from Hubble, infrared data from ESO, and ultraviolet data from GALEX indicates the white dwarf at the Helix Nebula destroyed a closely orbiting planet.
- Debris from the destroyed planet will form a disk around the white dwarf, creating the X-ray signal astronomers have detected for decades.
- X-ray missions dating back to 1980 have observed unusual readings from the white dwarf at the center of the Helix Nebula, named WD 2226-210.
- WD 2226-210 exhibits similarities in X-ray behavior to other white dwarfs, possibly constituting a new class of variable objects.
- Observations suggest a planet in an extremely close orbit around WD 2226-210, with a regular change in X-ray signal every 2.9 hours.
- The X-ray signal could be debris from a destroyed planet being pulled onto the white dwarf, a first observed case in a planetary nebula.
- A paper detailing these findings is published in The Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
- This discovery may shed light on the fate of planetary systems as stars evolve, potentially providing insights into Earth's distant future.
- The study authors include researchers from institutions like the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia.
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