A SEARCH FOR HIDDEN WHITE-DWARFS IN THE ROSAT EXTREME-ULTRAVIOLET SURVEY

The ROSAT Wide Field Camera survey has provided us with evidence for t he existence of a previously unidentified sample of hot white dwarfs ( WDs) in noninteracting binary systems, through the detection of extrem e ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray emission. These stars are hidden at optical wavelengths because of their close proximity to much more lum inous main-sequence (MS) companions (spectral type K or earlier). Howe ver, for companions of spectral type similar to A5 or later, the white dwarfs are easily visible at far-UV wavelengths, and can be identifie d in spectra taken by the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE). El even WD binary systems have previously been found in this way from ROS AT, Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) and IUE observations. In this paper we report the discovery of three more such systems through our p rogrammes in recent episodes of IUE. The new binaries are HD 2133, RE J0357 + 283 (the existence of which was predicted by Jeffries, Burleig h & Robb in 1996), and BD + 27 degrees 1888. In addition, we have inde pendently identified a fourth new WD + MS binary, RE J1027 + 322, whic h has also been reported in the literature by Geneva et al., bringing the total number of such systems discovered as a result of the EUV sur veys to 15. We also discuss here six stars which were observed as part of the programme, but for which no white dwarf companion was found. F our of these are coronally active. Finally, we present an analysis of the WD + K0IV binary HD 18131, which includes the ROSAT PSPC X-ray dat a.