Abstract

Recent Millisecond Pulsar-White Dwarf Binary Discoveries

David Kaplan (UW-Milwaukee)

B. Dunlap (UNC), S. Tendulkar (Caltech), V. Bhalerao (IUCAA), and the GBNCC and GBT Driftscan collaborations

We will discuss a number of exciting white dwarfs recently discovered as companions to millisecond pulsars. These include: a low-gravity, metal-rich object which appears to be evolving into a helium white dwarf; a hot helium white dwarf with precisely-measured model-independent mass and radius, and what might be the coolest massive white dwarf ever observed. We will discuss the details of these systems and their implications for our understanding of white dwarf structure, evolution, and cooling.

Mode of presentation: oral