February 28, 2024

Artist’s impression of the white dwarf WD 0816-310 with its magnetic field and the debris that surrounds it (Image ESO/L. Calçada)

An article published in “The Astrophysical Journal Letters” reports the results of a study of the white dwarf cataloged as WD 0816-310 and of what was defined as a scar on its surface, left by the materials of a large asteroid that got swallowed. A team of researchers used ESO’s VLT (Very Large Telescope) in Chile to obtain the information necessary to identify the metallic elements that form that scar and its concentration in a specific area, which is one of its magnetic poles. This result offers new insights into the evolution of planetary systems after the death of their star.