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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 397 records · Page 22
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DOE OSTI2015

Ultra-luminous X-ray sources in Haro 11 and the role of X-ray binaries in feedback in Lyα emitting galaxies

Lyman Break Analogs (LBAs) are local proxies of high-redshift Lyman Break Galaxies. Spatially resolved studies of nearby starbursts have shown that Lyman continuum and line emission are absorbed by dust and that the Lyα is resonantly scattered by neutral hydrogen. In order to observe Lyα emission from star-forming regions, some source of feedback is required to blow the neutral gas away from the starburst to prevent scattering and allow the Lyα emission to escape. We show that there are two X-ray point sources embedded in the diffuse emission of the LBA galaxy Haro 11. CXOU J003652.4-333316 (abbreviated to Haro 11 X-1) is an extremely luminous (L{sub X}∼10{sup 41} erg s{sup −1}), spatially compact source with a hard-X-ray spectrum. We suggest that the X-ray emission from Haro 11 X-1 is dominated by a single accretion source. This might be an active galactic nucleus or a source similar to the extreme black hole binary (BHB) M82 X-1. The hard X-ray spectrum indicates that Haro 11 X-1 may be a BHB in a low accretion state. In this case, the very high X-ray luminosity suggests an intermediate mass black hole that could be the seed for formation of a supermassive black hole. Source CXOU J003652.7-33331619.5 (abbreviated Haro 11 X-2) has an X-ray luminosity of L{sub X}∼5×10{sup 40} erg s{sup −1} and a soft X-ray spectrum (power-law photon index Γ ∼ 2.2). This strongly suggests that Haro 11 X-2 is an X-ray binary in the ultra luminous state (i.e., an Ultra Luminous X-ray source, ULX). Haro 11 X-2 is coincident with the star-forming knot that is the source of the Lyα emission. The association of a ULX with Lyα emission raises the possibility that strong winds from X-ray binaries play an important role in injecting mechanical power into the interstellar medium, thus blowing away neutral material from the starburst region and allowing the Lyα to escape. We suggest that feedback from X-ray binaries may play a significant role in allowing Lyα emission to escape from galaxies in the early universe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

DISPERSING ENVELOPE AROUND THE KEPLERIAN CIRCUMBINARY DISK IN L1551 NE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR BINARY GROWTH

We performed mapping observations of the Class I protostellar binary system L1551 NE in the C{sup 18}O (J = 3–2), {sup 13}CO (J = 3–2), CS (J = 7–6), and SO (J{sub N} = 7{sub 8}–6{sub 7}) lines with the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE). The ASTE C{sup 18}O data were combined with our previous SMA C{sup 18}O data, which show a r ∼ 300 AU scale Keplerian disk around the protostellar binary system. The C{sup 18}O maps show a ∼20,000 AU scale protostellar envelope surrounding the central Keplerian circumbinary disk. The envelope exhibits a northeast (blue) to southwest (red) velocity gradient along the minor axis, which can be interpreted as a dispersing gas motion with an outward velocity of 0.3 km s{sup −1}, while no rotational motion in the envelope is seen. In addition to the envelope, two ≲4000 AU scale, high-velocity (≳1.3 km s{sup −1}) redshifted {sup 13}CO and CS emission components are found ∼40″ southwest and ∼20″ west of the protostellar binary. These redshifted components are most likely outflow components driven from the neighboring protostellar source L1551 IRS 5, and are colliding with the envelope in L1551 NE. The net momentum, kinetic, and internal energies of the L1551 IRS 5 outflow components are comparable to those of the L1551 NE envelope, and the interactions between the outflows and the envelope are likely to cause the dissipation of the envelope and thus suppression of further growth of the mass and mass ratio of the central protostellar binary in L1551 NE.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

V753 MON: A UNIQUE CLOSE BINARY JUST AFTER THE EVOLUTIONARY STAGE WITH THE SHORTEST PERIOD DURING MASS TRANSFER

We discovered that the O-C curve of V753 Mon shows an upward parabolic change while undergoing a cyclic variation with a period of 13.5 yr. The upward parabolic change reveals a long-term period increase at a rate of P-dot = +7.8 x 10{sup -8} days yr{sup -1}. Photometric solutions determined using the Wilson-Devinney method confirm that V753 Mon is a semi-detached binary system where the slightly less massive, hotter component star is transferring mass to the more massive one. This is in agreement with the long-term increase of the orbital period. The increase of the orbital period, the mass ratio very close to unity, and the semi-detached configuration with a less massive lobe-filling component all suggest that V753 Mon is on a key evolutionary stage just after the evolutionary stage with the shortest period during mass transfer. The results in this paper will shed light on the formation of massive contact binaries and the evolution of binary stars. The cyclic oscillation in the O-C diagram indicates that V753 Mon may be a triple system containing an extremely cool stellar companion that may play an important role for the formation and evolution in the binary system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

TOWARD COMPLETE STATISTICS OF MASSIVE BINARY STARS: PENULTIMATE RESULTS FROM THE CYGNUS OB2 RADIAL VELOCITY SURVEY

We analyze orbital solutions for 48 massive multiple-star systems in the Cygnus OB2 association, 23 of which are newly presented here, to find that the observed distribution of orbital periods is approximately uniform in log P for P < 45 days, but it is not scale-free. Inflections in the cumulative distribution near 6 days, 14 days, and 45 days suggest key physical scales of ≅0.2, ≅0.4, and ≅1 A.U. where yet-to-be-identified phenomena create distinct features. No single power law provides a statistically compelling prescription, but if features are ignored, a power law with exponent β ≅ –0.22 provides a crude approximation over P = 1.4-2000 days, as does a piece-wise linear function with a break near 45 days. The cumulative period distribution flattens at P > 45 days, even after correction for completeness, indicating either a lower binary fraction or a shift toward low-mass companions. A high degree of similarity (91% likelihood) between the Cyg OB2 period distribution and that of other surveys suggests that the binary properties at P ≲ 25 days are determined by local physics of disk/clump fragmentation and are relatively insensitive to environmental and evolutionary factors. Fully 30% of the unbiased parent sample is a binary with period P < 45 days. Completeness corrections imply a binary fraction near 55% for P < 5000 days. The observed distribution of mass ratios 0.2 < q < 1 is consistent with uniform, while the observed distribution of eccentricities 0.1 < e < 0.6 is consistent with uniform plus an excess of e ≅ 0 systems. We identify six stars, all supergiants, that exhibit aperiodic velocity variations of ∼30 km s{sup –1} attributed to atmospheric fluctuations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Prospects for joint observations of gravitational waves and gamma rays from merging neutron star binaries

The detection of the events GW150914 and GW151226, both consistent with the merger of a binary black hole system (BBH), opened the era of gravitational wave (GW) astronomy. Besides BBHs, the most promising GW sources are the coalescences of binary systems formed by two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole. These mergers are thought to be connected with short Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs), therefore combined observations of GW and electromagnetic (EM) signals could definitively probe this association. We present a detailed study on the expectations for joint GW and high-energy EM observations of coalescences of binary systems of neutron stars with Advanced Virgo and LIGO and with the Fermi gamma-ray telescope. To this scope, we designed a dedicated Montecarlo simulation pipeline for the multimessenger emission and detection by GW and gamma-ray instruments, considering the evolution of the GW detector sensitivities. We show that the expected rate of joint detection is low during the Advanced Virgo and Advanced LIGO 2016–2017 run; however, as the interferometers approach their final design sensitivities, the rate will increase by ∼ a factor of ten. Future joint observations will help to constrain the association between short GRBs and binary systems and to solve the puzzle of the progenitors of GWs. Comparison of the joint detection rate with the ones predicted in this paper will help to constrain the geometry of the GRB jet.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CARBON AND OXYGEN ABUNDANCES IN THE HOT JUPITER EXOPLANET HOST STAR XO-2B AND ITS BINARY COMPANION

With the aim of connecting the compositions of stars and planets, we present the abundances of carbon and oxygen, as well as iron and nickel, for the transiting exoplanet host star XO-2N and its wide-separation binary companion XO-2S. Stellar parameters are derived from high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra, and the two stars are found to be similar in their T{sub eff}, log g, iron ([Fe/H]), and nickel ([Ni/H]) abundances. Their carbon ([C/H]) and oxygen ([O/H]) abundances also overlap within errors, although XO-2N may be slightly more C-rich and O-rich than XO-2S. The C/O ratios of both stars ({approx}0.60 {+-} 0.20) may also be somewhat larger than solar (C/O {approx} 0.50). The XO-2 system has a transiting hot Jupiter orbiting one binary component but not the other, allowing us to probe the potential effects planet formation might have on the host star composition. Additionally, with multiple observations of its atmosphere the transiting exoplanet XO-2b lends itself to compositional analysis, which can be compared to the natal chemical environment established by our binary star elemental abundances. This work sets the stage for determining how similar or different exoplanet and host star compositions are, and the implications for planet formation, by discussing the C/O ratio measurements in the unique environment of a visual binary system with one star hosting a transiting hot Jupiter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

DIVERSITY OF SHORT GAMMA-RAY BURST AFTERGLOWS FROM COMPACT BINARY MERGERS HOSTING PULSARS

Short-duration gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs) are widely believed to result from the mergers of compact binaries. This model predicts an afterglow that bears the characteristic signatures of a constant, low-density medium, including a smooth prompt-afterglow transition, and a simple temporal evolution. However, these expectations are in conflict with observations for a non-negligible fraction of sGRB afterglows. In particular, the onset of the afterglow phase for some of these events appears to be delayed and, in addition, a few of them exhibit late-time rapid fading in their light curves. We show that these peculiar observations can be explained independently of ongoing central engine activity if some sGRB progenitors are compact binaries hosting at least one pulsar. The Poynting flux emanating from the pulsar companion can excavate a bow-shock cavity surrounding the binary. If this cavity is larger than the shock deceleration length scale in the undisturbed interstellar medium, then the onset of the afterglow will be delayed. Should the deceleration occur entirely within the swept-up thin shell, a rapid fade in the light curve will ensue. We identify two types of pulsar that can achieve the conditions necessary for altering the afterglow: low-field, long-lived pulsars, and high-field pulsars. We find that a sizable fraction (≈20%-50%) of low-field pulsars are likely to reside in neutron star binaries based on observations, while their high-field counterparts are not. Hydrodynamical calculations motivated by this model are shown to be in good agreement with observations of sGRB afterglow light curves.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Increasing the census of ultracool dwarfs in wide binary and multiple systems using Dark Energy Survey DR1 and Gaia DR2 data

ABSTRACT We present the discovery of 255 binary and 6 multiple system candidates with wide (> 5 arcsec) separation composed by ultracool dwarfs (UCDs) companions to stars, plus nine double ultracool dwarf systems. These systems were selected based on common distance criteria. About 90 per cent of the total sample has proper motions available and 73 per cent of the systems also satisfy a common proper motion criterion. The sample of ultracool candidates was taken from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the candidate stellar primaries are from Gaia DR2 and DES data. We compute chance alignment probabilities in order to assess the physical nature of each pair. We find that 174 candidate pairs with Gaia DR2 primaries and 81 pairs with a DES star as a primary have chance alignment probabilities $\lt 5{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. Only nine candidate systems composed of two UCDs were identified. The sample of candidate multiple systems is made up of five triple systems and one quadruple system. The majority of the UCDs found in binaries and multiples are of early L type and the typical wide binary fraction over the L spectral types is $2\!-\!4{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. Our sample of candidate wide binaries with UCDs as secondaries constitutes a substantial increase over the known number of such systems, which are very useful to constrain the formation and evolution of UCDs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

TYC 2990-127-1: An Algol-type SB2 binary system of subgiant and red giant with a probable ongoing mass-transfer

ABSTRACT We present a study of the spectroscopic binary TYC 2990-127-1 from the LAMOST survey. We use full-spectrum fitting to derive radial velocities and spectral parameters. The high mass ratio indicates that the system underwent mass transfer in the past. We compute the orbital solution and find that it is a very close sub-giant/red giant pair on circular orbit, slightly inclined to the sky-plane. Fitting of the TESS photometrical data confirms this and suggests an inclination of i ∼ 39.8°. The light curve and spectrum around Hα show signs of irregular variability, which supports ongoing mass transfer. The binary evolution simulations suggest that the binary may experience non-conservative mass transfer with accretion efficiency 0.3, and the binary will enter into common envelope (CE) phase in the subsequent evolution. The remnant product after the ejection of CE may be a detached double helium white dwarf (He WD) or a merger.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Estimates for disk and ejecta masses produced in compact binary mergers

There is irresistible observational evidence that binary systems of compact objects with at least one neutron star are progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts, as well as a production site for r -process elements, at least when some matter is ejected by the merger and an accretion disk is formed. Here, the recent observations of gravitational waves in conjunction with electromagnetic counterparts fuel the need for models predicting the outcome of a given merger and the properties of the associated matter outflows as a function of the initial parameters of the binary. In this manuscript, we provide updated fitting formulas that estimate the disk mass for double neutron star binaries and ejecta masses for black hole–neutron star and double neutron star binaries, fitted to the results of numerical simulations. Our proposed fitting formulas improve on existing models by aiming for analytical simplicity, by covering a larger region of parameter space, and by accounting for regions of parameter space not covered by numerical simulations but with physically manifest merger outcomes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

ASAS J083241+2332.4: A NEW EXTREME LOW MASS RATIO OVERCONTACT BINARY SYSTEM

We present the R- and V-band CCD photometry and Hα line studies of an overcontact binary ASAS J083241+2332.4. The light curves exhibit totality along with a trace of the O’Connell effect. The photometric solution indicates that this system falls into the category of extreme low-mass ratio overcontact binaries with a mass ratio, q ∼ 0.06. Although a trace of the O’ Connell effect is observed, constancy of the Hα line along various phases suggest that a relatively higher magnetic activity is needed for it to show a prominent fill-in effect. The study of O–C variations reveals that the period of the binary shows a secular increase at the rate of dP/dt ∼ 0.0765 s years{sup −1}, which is superimposed by a low, but significant, sinusoidal modulation with a period of ∼8.25 years. Assuming that the sinusoidal variation is due to the presence of a third body, orbital elements have been derived. There exist three other similar systems, SX Crv, V857 Her, and E53, which have extremely low mass ratios and we conclude that ASAS J083241+2332.4 resembles SX Crv in many respects. Theoretical studies indicate that at a critical mass ratio range, q{sub critical} = 0.07–0.09, overcontact binaries should merge and form a fast rotating star, but it has been suggested that q{sub critical} can continue to fall up to 0.05 depending on the primary's mass and structure. Moreover, the obtained fill-out factors (50%–70%) indicate that mass loss is considerable and hydrodynamical simulations advocate that mass loss from L{sub 2} is mandatory for a successful merging process. Comprehensively, the results indicate that ASAS J083241+2332.4 is at a stage of merger. The pivotal role played by the subtle nature of the derived mass ratio in forming a rapidly rotating star has been discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

LUT REVEALS AN ALGOL-TYPE ECLIPSING BINARY WITH THREE ADDITIONAL STELLAR COMPANIONS IN A MULTIPLE SYSTEM

A complete light curve of the neglected eclipsing binary Algol V548 Cygni in the UV band was obtained with the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope in 2014 May. Photometric solutions are obtained using the Wilson–Devinney method. It is found that solutions with and without third light are quite different. The mass ratio without third light is determined to be q = 0.307, while that derived with third light is q = 0.606. It is shown that V548 Cygni is a semi-detached binary where the secondary component is filling the critical Roche lobe. An analysis of all available eclipse times suggests that there are three cyclic variations in the O–C diagram that are interpreted by the light travel-time effect via the presence of three additional stellar companions. This is in agreement with the presence of a large quantity of third light in the system. The masses of these companions are estimated as m sin i′ ∼ 1.09, 0.20, and 0.52 M{sub ⊙}. They are orbiting the central binary with orbital periods of about 5.5, 23.3, and 69.9 years, i.e., in 1:4:12 resonance orbit. Their orbital separations are about 4.5, 13.2, and 26.4 au, respectively. Our photometric solutions suggest that they contribute about 32.4% to the total light of the multiple system. No obvious long-term changes in the orbital period were found, indicating that the contributions of the mass transfer and the mass loss due to magnetic braking to the period variations are comparable. The detection of three possible additional stellar components orbiting a typical Algol in a multiple system make V548 Cygni a very interesting binary to study in the future.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

NEAR-CONTACT BINARIES IZ MONOCEROTIS AND AR DRACONIS

We present multi-color photometric observations for two neglected near-contact binaries, IZ Mon (P=0--AMP--fd;77980) and AR Dra (P=0--AMP--fd;67584). By the aid of the updated W-D analysis code, the photometric solutions were deduced from the multi-color light curves (LCs). IZ Mon is a semi-detached binary with a mass ratio of q=0.388(±0.002), while AR Dra is a detached star with a mass ratio of q=0.652(±0.002). The asymmetric LCs of IZ Mon were modeled by a hot spot on the secondary’s surface, which may be attributed to mass transfer from the primary. Based on all collected eclipse times for two systems, we constructed their timing residual curves. The orbital period for IZ Mon may be continuously decreasing at a rate of dP/dt=−2.06(±0.04) days yr{sup −1}, which may result from mass and angular momentum loss from the central system. For AR Dra, there exists a cyclic variation with a period of P{sub 3}=104.9(±2.9) yr due to light-time orbit effect via the presence of the third body, whose mass is more than 0.28(±0.02) M{sub ⊙}. Finally, two near-contact binaries, IZ Mon and AR Dra, will evolve into contact binaries.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

DISCOVERY OF AN X-RAY-EMITTING CONTACT BINARY SYSTEM 2MASS J11201034−2201340

We report the detection of orbital modulation, a model solution, and the X-ray properties of a newly discovered contact binary, Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) J11201034−2201340. We serendipitously found this X-ray point source outside the error ellipse when searching for possible X-ray counterparts of γ-ray millisecond pulsars among the unidentified objects detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The optical counterpart of the X-ray source (unrelated to the γ-ray source) was then identified using archival databases. The long-term Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey detected a precise signal with a period of P=0.28876208(56) days. A follow-up observation made by the Super Light Telescope of Lulin Observatory revealed the binary nature of the object. Utilizing archived photometric data of multi-band surveys, we construct the spectral energy distribution (SED), which is well fit by a K2V spectral template. The fitting result of the orbital profile using the Wilson–Devinney code suggests that 2MASS J11201034-2201340 is a short-period A-type contact binary and the more massive component has a cool spot. The X-ray emission was first noted in observations made by Swift, and then further confirmed and characterized by an XMM-Newton observation. The X-ray spectrum can be described by a power law or thermal Bremsstrahlung. Unfortunately, we could not observe significant X-ray orbital modulation. Finally, according to the SED, this system is estimated to be 690 pc from Earth with a calculated X-ray intensity of (0.7−1.5)×10{sup 30} erg s{sup −1}, which is in the expected range of an X-ray emitting contact binary.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

BVRI OBSERVATIONS AND ANALYSES OF THE SEMIDETACHED BINARY FF VULPECULA

High-precision BVR{sub c}I{sub c} light curves of FF Vul were taken during the fall of 2015 with the Dark Sky Observatory 0.81 m reflector of Appalachian State University, and the SARA north 0.91 m reflector at KPNO. FF Vul is an eclipsing binary with a period of 0.44 day. A Wilson–Devinney solution shows that the binary is a near-contact, semidetached binary, i.e., with a V1010 Oph-type configuration. Five eclipse timings (three primary and two secondary) were calculated. A quadratic ephemeris was determined indicating that the period is decreasing. A near-equatorial hot spot was modeled on the cooler, secondary star, possibly caused by matter impacting from the primary component via the inner Lagrangian point. The component temperature difference is more than 1500 K. The solution confirms a total secondary eclipse of 23 minutes duration. As expected in binaries of this type, there is a magnetic spot region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

EMISSION SIGNATURES FROM SUB-PARSEC BINARY SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES. I. DIAGNOSTIC POWER OF BROAD EMISSION LINES

Motivated by advances in observational searches for sub-parsec supermassive black hole binaries (SBHBs) made in the past few years, we develop a semi-analytic model to describe spectral emission-line signatures of these systems. The goal of this study is to aid the interpretation of spectroscopic searches for binaries and to help test one of the leading models of binary accretion flows in the literature: SBHB in a circumbinary disk. In this work, we present the methodology and a comparison of the preliminary model with the data. We model SBHB accretion flows as a set of three accretion disks: two mini-disks that are gravitationally bound to the individual black holes and a circumbinary disk. Given a physically motivated parameter space occupied by sub-parsec SBHBs, we calculate a synthetic database of nearly 15 million broad optical emission-line profiles and explore the dependence of the profile shapes on characteristic properties of SBHBs. We find that the modeled profiles show distinct statistical properties as a function of the semimajor axis, mass ratio, eccentricity of the binary, and the degree of alignment of the triple disk system. This suggests that the broad emission-line profiles from SBHB systems can in principle be used to infer the distribution of these parameters and as such merit further investigation. Calculated profiles are more morphologically heterogeneous than the broad emission lines in observed SBHB candidates and we discuss improved treatment of radiative transfer effects, which will allow a direct statistical comparison of the two groups.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

TESTING THE ASTEROSEISMIC SCALING RELATIONS FOR RED GIANTS WITH ECLIPSING BINARIES OBSERVED BY KEPLER

Given the potential of ensemble asteroseismology for understanding fundamental properties of large numbers of stars, it is critical to determine the accuracy of the scaling relations on which these measurements are based. From several powerful validation techniques, all indications so far show that stellar radius estimates from the asteroseismic scaling relations are accurate to within a few percent. Eclipsing binary systems hosting at least one star with detectable solar-like oscillations constitute the ideal test objects for validating asteroseismic radius and mass inferences. By combining radial velocity (RV) measurements and photometric time series of eclipses, it is possible to determine the masses and radii of each component of a double-lined spectroscopic binary. We report the results of a four-year RV survey performed with the échelle spectrometer of the Astrophysical Research Consortium’s 3.5 m telescope and the APOGEE spectrometer at Apache Point Observatory. We compare the masses and radii of 10 red giants (RGs) obtained by combining radial velocities and eclipse photometry with the estimates from the asteroseismic scaling relations. We find that the asteroseismic scaling relations overestimate RG radii by about 5% on average and masses by about 15% for stars at various stages of RG evolution. Systematic overestimation of mass leads to underestimation of stellar age, which can have important implications for ensemble asteroseismology used for Galactic studies. As part of a second objective, where asteroseismology is used for understanding binary systems, we confirm that oscillations of RGs in close binaries can be suppressed enough to be undetectable, a hypothesis that was proposed in a previous work.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Activity and Kinematics of White Dwarf-M Dwarf Binaries from the SUPERBLINK Proper Motion Survey

We present an activity and kinematic analysis of high proper motion white dwarf-M dwarf binaries (WD+dMs) found in the SUPERBLINK survey, 178 of which are new identifications. To identify WD+dMs, we developed a UV–optical–IR color criterion and conducted a spectroscopic survey to confirm each candidate binary. For the newly identified systems, we fit the two components using model white dwarf spectra and M dwarf template spectra to determine physical parameters. We use H α chromospheric emission to examine the magnetic activity of the M dwarf in each system, and investigate how its activity is affected by the presence of a white dwarf companion. We find that the fraction of WD+dM binaries with active M dwarfs is significantly higher than their single M dwarf counterparts at early and mid-spectral types. We corroborate previous studies that find high activity fractions at both close and intermediate separations. At more distant separations, the binary fraction appears to approach the activity fraction for single M dwarfs. Using derived radial velocities and the proper motions, we calculate 3D space velocities for the WD+dMs in SUPERBLINK. For the entire SUPERBLINK WD+dMs, we find a large vertical velocity dispersion, indicating a dynamically hotter population compared to high proper motion samples of single M dwarfs. We compare the kinematics for systems with active M dwarfs and those with inactive M dwarfs, and find signatures of asymmetric drift in the inactive sample, indicating that they are drawn from an older population.

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