Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Context . A growing number of white dwarfs (WDs) exhibit one or more signs of remnant planetary systems, including transits, infrared excesses, and atmospheric metal pollution. WD 1054-226 stands out for its unique, highly structured, and persistent photometric variability. Aims . We investigate the long-term stability and nature of the periodic signals observed in WD 1054-226 to better understand the origin and evolution of its transiting material. Methods . We analysed all available TESS light curves from Sectors 9, 36, 63, and 90 using Lomb–Scargle, box-least-squares, and Gaussian process periodogram analyses. We complemented them with multi-band, high-cadence ground-based photometry from LCOGT, MuSCAT2, ALFOSC, and ProEM to test for a colour dependence and confirm the periodicities. Results . We confirm the persistence of the previously reported 25.01 h and 23.1 min periodicities over a six-year baseline. The 25.01 h signal shows some temporal evolution, while the 23.1 min dips are highly coherent on long timescales. The previously reported transient 11.4 h feature was only detected in early TESS sectors and is absent in recent data. No significant colour dependence is found in the ground-based observations. Conclusions . The stability of the 25.01 h and 23.1 min signals indicates a long-lived, dynamically sculpted debris structure around WD 1054-226. The lack of a colour dependence implies a high optical depth, consistent with an opaque, edge-on debris ring rather than an optically thin dust population. This makes WD 1054-226 a key laboratory for testing models of remnant planetary systems around WDs.
Source: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Authors: J. Korth, A. J. Mustill, H. Parviainen, E. Villaver, J. W. Kuehne, V. J. S. Béjar, Y. Hayashi, N. Abreu García, T. Kagetani, K. Kawauchi, L. Livingston, M. Mori, G. Morello, N. Watanabe, I. Fukuda, K. Ikuta, I. Bonilla-Mariana, E. Esparza-Borges, G. Fernández-Rodríguez, A. Fukui, S. Geraldía-González, J. González-Rodríguez, K. Isogai, N. Narita, E. Palle, A. Peláez-Torres, M. Sánchez-Benavente
Institutions: University of Geneva, Lund University, Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, McDonald Observatory, The University of Tokyo, Ritsumeikan University, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Astrobiology Center, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, National Institute for Astrophysics, Hitotsubashi University, Kyoto University
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,865
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Space Telescope Science Institute, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Universidad de La Laguna, European Commission, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Vetenskapsrådet, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Awards: G1105844351, G1129048233, G1175115578, G121809054, G1381791653, G1622782223, G1855990336, G2117251995, G2262748287, G2309174360, G24120701, G252646220, G2601397997, G2660406951, White dwarfs and planets on small and large scales, G294895050, G300979063, G3311989135, G3480869486, G3681454997, G373897614, G3752857035, G3817602061, G3840207496, G4042783231, G410571670, G4245300941, G425668148, Phasenübergänge und Instabilitäten, G430777504, G433322167, G4518818167, G451917667, G463062595, G490073602, G491712853, ヘリウムを用いた小型惑星大気構造の観測的検証, G5070458386, G5080475149, G5195188938, G5222444068, G523076202, G5293249294, G5404395142, G5421974903, G5539308778, G58316358, CARES-RIVERS: Characterising the Architecture of (nearly-)Resonant Exoplanetary Systems - Recognition of Interval Variations in Exoplanet Recovery Surveys., G5894067328, G593054264, G5967599077, G6033112984, G6273510985, G6728930308, G6731467812, NCCR PlanetS: Origin, evolution and characterisation of planets, G7053437819, Exploring stellar magnetic activity from photometric and spectroscopic observations with astrostatistics, G7084143925, G753082317, 古代説話における諸寺縁起の研究, G767601387, G7805626310, G7863371703, A unified picture of white dwarf planetary systems, G7937275146, G8041541578, G8210229802, G8345352404, G8347645112, A Study for Unveiling Planetary Evolution with Young Transiting Exoplanets, G8497050386, G8505061131, G8688487427, Unified Understanding of Stellar Superflares from Onset to Consequences by Observation, G8920660035, G897484643, G99296377
OpenAlex ID: W7147584775