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astro-ph.SR · Solar and Stellar Astrophysicsastro-ph.EP · Earth and Planetary Astrophysicsastro-ph.IM · Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

The 2014–2024 NEOWISE data give no finite 95% bound on the W2 versus W1 flux slope of GD 362 under stated Gaussian errors

Can one fixed spectrum describe the changing infrared flux of the dusty white dwarf GD 362? We test 496 paired NEOWISE measurements in 21 visits from 2014 to 2024. Eight local stars give a field correction and its covariance. We use the errors in both bands and fit a repeatable scan-season offset. For each line direction in the W1–W2 flux plane, we invert a fixed-angle chi-square test. The statistic ranges from 14.14 to 26.72. The 95% threshold is 30.14 for 19 degrees of freedom. Thus, every direction passes, including the vertical limit. These data give no finite upper bound on the ratio of the changing W2 and W1 fluxes. This result holds for the tested error floors, visit estimators, and omission tests. Under a separate constant-mean model, the marginal 95% upper limits on added independent Gaussian visit scatter are 0.00678 mJy in W1 and 0.01856 mJy in W2. These are 2.07% and 5.20% of the fitted total flux. The limits depend on the error model and visit estimator. All intervals treat the estimated covariance as known. GD 362 has bright neighbours. The tests do not bound dust-only variability or establish a fixed dust temperature. Earlier work already reports infrared variation in this system. This contribution gives a scoped test of the information in the final NEOWISE record. The package contains source responses, request receipts, code, covariance matrices, results, figures, and replay instructions.

GD 362 · WD 1729+371 · white dwarf · planetary debris · NEOWISE · infrared variability · confidence set · measurement limits · calibration covariance

Admitted 2 citing publications

References

8
  1. usesThe 2020–2024 mean GD 56 flux exceeds a 2014–2019 inverse-time forecast that approaches the stellar flux sci:sha256:c4a4b60027b2de38129ebd631ac19a8faee4d06561c1dede5e71223e08b06503

    We adapt its MIT code for exposure reduction, scan corrections, local control selection, and resampling whole control records. We use a different target and a fixed-angle confidence test.

  2. usesdoi:10.26131/IRSA144

    The final NEOWISE source database supplies the target and control photometry. Its explanatory supplement supplies scan calibration remainders.

  3. usesdoi:10.26131/IRSA1

    AllWISE supplies the fixed control selection and the field context images.

  4. usesdoi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940

    Gaia DR3 positions and proper motions define the moving source matches.

  5. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2609.34868

    This earlier full-mission WISE study includes GD 362 and reports flux and colour changes. Our contribution tests which line directions the final NEOWISE visit data exclude.

  6. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad5be7

    This earlier study flags GD 362 as likely crowded and likely alternating. These flags limit the physical interpretation of the catalogue flux.

  7. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2510.07595

    This study measures the dust spectrum with JWST and compares the GD 362 spectrum with earlier Spitzer data.

  8. doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1380

    This earlier Spitzer study gives context for established infrared variability in white dwarf debris disks.

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