ONGOING MASS EJECTION IN THE PECULIAR, HOT DO DEGENERATE KPD-0005+5106

We present an analysis of four high-resolution far-ultraviolet spectra of the hot, peculiar DO white dwarf KPD 0005+5106 obtained with short -wavelength prime (SWP) spectrograph aboard the International Ultravio let Explorer (IUE) spacecraft. These spectra reveal weak, probably var iable, peculiar absorption and emission transitions of ultrahigh excit ation C V and N V in the 1615-1623 Angstrom region, O VIII variable co ronal emission, variable line structure at He II (1640), and essential ly constant photospheric/circumstellar/interstellar blended N V, Si IV , and C IV resonance absorption. Our four IUE echelle spectra confirm the high excitation CN absorption feature at 1230.55 A but reveal litt le evidence of the high excitation C IV features at 1351 and 1353 Angs trom seen most strongly in the PG 1159 degenerates. Moreover, high exc itation O VI and C IV transitions are at most very minor contributors to the broad absorption at 1640 A. We find distinct evidence of a mode rately dense neutral cloud along the Line of sight to KPD 0005. This c loud, if near the white dwarf, may interact with the stellar wind to p roduce a zone of shock-induced high ionization. The nonphotospheric in terstellar/circumstellar components of the N V resonance doublet in KP D 0005 yield a column density log N (N V)=13.8, a factor of 8-10 highe r than the value which might be expected from the diffuse ISM. The non photospheric components of N V in the PG 1159 object RXT 2117+3412 hav e a similar velocity (50 km/s) relative to the photospheric rest frame and are markedly stronger. Both objects exhibit strong O VIII emissio n, a possible marker of mass loss. These characteristics providing com pelling evidence that the nonphotospheric N V absorption is locally as sociated with these two hot degenerates and almost certainly ejected. (C) 1997 American Astronomical Society.