2008ApJ...683L.167D

We report the discovery of a strong magnetic field in the unique pulsating carbon-atmosphere white dwarf SDSS J142625.71+575218.3. From spectra gathered at the MMT and Keck telescopes, we infer a surface field of B_s≃1.2 MG, based on obvious Zeeman components seen in several carbon lines. We also detect the presence of a Zeeman-splitted He I λ4471 line, which is an indicator of the presence of a nonnegligible amount of helium in the atmosphere of this ``hot DQ'' star. This is important for understanding its pulsations, as nonadabatic theory reveals that some helium must be present in the envelope mixture for pulsation modes to be excited in the range of effective temperature where the target star is found. Out of nearly 200 pulsating white dwarfs known today, this is the first example of a star with a large detectable magnetic field. We suggest that SDSS J142625.71+575218.3 is the white dwarf equivalent of a rapidly oscillating Ap star.