From Hubble to HWO: Bridging the Frontier of White Dwarf Exoplanet Science

Laura K. Rogers; Siyi Xu; Martin Barstow; Simon Blouin; Amy Bonsor; Andrew M. Buchan; Sarah L. Casewell; Tim Cunningham; John Debes; Patrick Dufour; Boris Gansicke; Joseph Guidry; Ted von Hippel; Mukremin Kilic; Erika Le Bourdais; Carl Melis; Lou Baya Ould Rouis; Judith Provencal; Melinda Soares-Furtado; Andrew Swan; Isabella Trierweiler; Zachary Vanderbosch; Jamie Williams

arXiv · 2605.26142

From Hubble to HWO: Bridging the Frontier of White Dwarf Exoplanet Science

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Abstract

White dwarf stars, the endpoint of stellar evolution for 97% of stars in our Milky Way, offer a unique and powerful window into the bulk elemental composition of rocky exoplanetary bodies. Up to 50% of single white dwarfs are observed with photospheric metal lines from accreted exoplanetary bodies (called 'polluted' white dwarfs), and spectroscopic observations reveal the bulk composition of this material. High-resolution (R>15,000) UV spectra are essential for detecting many elements present in the material, such as the volatile elements imperative for habitability studies (C, N, O, P, S) and key rock-forming elements required to constrain interior structure (e.g. Fe, Si, Mg, Al, Ni). HST, through its COS and STIS spectrographs, remains the only facility capable of performing this science in the near future. Looking to the next decade, the scientific case for continued HST UV observations of polluted white dwarfs is compelling on three fronts (i) as a standalone to enable the bulk composition of exoplanetary material to be measured in a statistically significant sample, (ii) as essential groundwork for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), and (iii) in a powerful synergy with JWST, to enable characterization of the bulk mineralogy and bulk elemental composition of exoplanetary material. This white paper argues that continued UV spectroscopic capabilities with HST is a high-return investment for white dwarf and exoplanet science, and preserving and prioritizing HST's UV capabilities through at least 2035 is crucial to maximize the scientific return from HST, JWST, and HWO.

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Laura K. Rogers, Siyi Xu, Martin Barstow, Simon Blouin, Amy Bonsor, Andrew M. Buchan, Sarah L. Casewell, Tim Cunningham, John Debes, Patrick Dufour, Boris Gansicke, Joseph Guidry, Ted von Hippel, Mukremin Kilic, Erika Le Bourdais, Carl Melis, Lou Baya Ould Rouis, Judith Provencal, Melinda Soares-Furtado, Andrew Swan, Isabella Trierweiler, Zachary Vanderbosch, Jamie Williams. 2026-05-22. From Hubble to HWO: Bridging the Frontier of White Dwarf Exoplanet Science. https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.26142

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