Analysis of the DA white dwarf HZ 43A and its companion star.

Abstract

The DA white dwarf HZ 43 A (WD 1314+293) is analyzed based on a newly obtained optical spectrogram. We demonstrate that the derived parameters T_eff = 49.000 K and log g = 7.7 are in agreement with the observed Ly-alpha line, the slope of the UV continuum, and the measured trigonometric parallax. The EXOSAT spectrograms of Paerels et al. (1986) are used to obtain upper limits for the atmospheric abundance of helium, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen of HZ 43 A by applying the new parameters and up-to-date Non Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (NLTE) model atmospheres. The result is discussed within the framework of diffusion calculations. It turns out that the resulting abundances of the CNO elements are below the predictions of theory making HZ 43 A an unique object. A red/near-infrared spectrum of the companion star HZ 43 B is used to reclassify it and to estimate temperature and metallicity. We calculate EUV fluxes from models with the derived stellar parameters and use them to check the flux calibrations of EXOSAT and ROSAT. The agreement between predicted and measured count rates is reasonable for the ROSAT-Wide Field Camera (WFC) filters. Most EXOSAT photometric filters exhibit deviations. These are marginally consistent with our error limits for the LX 3000, LX 4000, and the PPL filters. The Al/P calibration is in error. Discrepant results are obtained for the EXOSAT spectrograph and the ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC). These inconsistencies may cause systematic errors, if for instance PSPC measurements are combined with WFC data for an analysis.