A Sibling of AR Scorpii: SDSS J230641.47$+$244055.8 and the Observational Blueprint of White Dwarf Pulsars
A Sibling of AR Scorpii: SDSS J230641.47$+$244055.8 and the Observational Blueprint of White Dwarf Pulsars
N. Castro Segura, I. Pelisoli, B. T. Gänsicke, D. L. Coppejans, D. Steeghs, A. Aungwerojwit, K. Inight, A. Romero, A. Sahu, V. S. Dhillon, J. Munday, S. G. Parsons, M. R. Kennedy, M. J. Green, A. J. Brown, M. J. Dyer, E. Pike, J. A. Garbutt, D. Jarvis, P. Kerry, S. P. Littlefair, J. McCormac, D. I. Sahman, D. A. H. Buckley
AbstractRadio pulsating white dwarf (WD) systems, known as WD pulsars, are non-accreting binary systems where the rapidly spinning WD interacts with a low-mass companion producing pulsed non-thermal emission that can be observed across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Only two such systems are known: AR Sco and eRASSU J191213.9$-$441044. Here we present the discovery of a third WD pulsar, SDSS J230641.47$+$244055.8. The optical spectrum is dominated by molecular bands from an M-dwarf companion, with additional narrow emission lines from the Balmer series and He I. The long-term optical light-curve folded on its orbital period ($P_\mathrm{orb} = 3.49$ h) exhibits large scatter (roughly 10 per cent). High-cadence photometry reveals a short period signal, which we interpret to be the spin period of the WD primary ($P_\mathrm{spin} \simeq 92$ s). The WD spin period is slightly shorter than that of AR Sco ($\rm \sim 117$ s), the WD pulsar prototype. Time-resolved spectroscopy reveals emission from the irradiated companion and Na I absorption lines approximately tracing its centre of mass, which yields a binary mass function of $f(M) \simeq 0.2 {\rm M_\odot}$. The H$\alpha$ emission includes a low-amplitude broad component, resembling the energetic emission line flashes seen in AR Sco. Using spectral templates, we classify the companion to be most likely a $\rm M4.0\pm 0.5$ star with $T_\mathrm{\rm eff} \approx 3300$ K. Modelling the stellar contribution constrains the secondary mass ($0.19\,{\rm M_\odot}\lesssim M_2\lesssim 0.28\,{\rm M_\odot}$), system distance ($\simeq1.25\,{\rm kpc}$), and inclination ($i \simeq 45-50^\circ$). We discuss the proposed evolutionary scenarios and summarize the observational properties of all three known WD pulsars, establishing a benchmark for identifying and classifying future members of this emerging class.