X-Ray Observation of the Roche-lobe-filling White Dwarf plus Hot Subdwarf System ZTF J213056.71+442046.5

ZTF J213056.71+442046.5 is the prototype of a small class of recently discovered compact binaries composed of a white dwarf and a hot subdwarf that fills its Roche lobe. Its orbital period of only 39 minutes is the shortest known for the objects in this class. Evidence for a high orbital inclination (i = 86°) and for the presence of an accretion disk has been inferred from a detailed modeling of its optical photometric and spectroscopic data. We report the results of an XMM-Newton observation carried out on 2021 January 7. ZTF J213056.71+442046.5 was clearly detected by the Optical Monitor, which showed a periodic variability in the UV band (200–400 nm), with a light curve similar to that seen at longer wavelengths. Despite accretion on the white dwarf at an estimated rate of the order of 10−9 M ⊙ yr−1, no X-rays were detected with the EPIC instrument, with a limit of ∼1030 erg s−1 on the 0.2–12 keV luminosity. We discuss possible explanations for the lack of a strong X-ray emission from this system.