233 research outputs found
The White Dwarfs within 25 Parsecs of the Sun: Kinematics and Spectroscopic Subtypes
We present the fractional distribution of spectroscopic subtypes, range and
distribution of surface temperatures, and kinematical properties of the white
dwarfs within 25pc of the sun. There is no convincing evidence of halo white
dwarfs in the total 25 pc sample of 224 white dwarfs. There is also little to
suggest the presence of genuine thick disk subcomponent members within 25
parsecs. It appears that the entire 25 pc sample likely belong to the thin
disk. We also find no significant kinematic differences with respect to
spectroscopic subtypes. The total DA to non-DA ratio of the 25 pc sample is
1.8, a manifestation of deepening envelope convection which transforms DA stars
with sufficiently thin H surface layers into non-DAs. We compare this ratio
with the results of other studies. We find that at least 11% of the white
dwarfs within 25 parsecs of the sun (the DAZ and DZ stars) have photospheric
metals that likely originate from accretion of circumstellar material (debris
disks) around them. If this interpretation is correct, then it suggests the
possibility that a similar percentage have planets, asteroid-like bodies or
debris disks orbiting them. Our volume-limited sample reveals a pileup of DC
white dwarfs at the well-known cutoff in DQ white dwarfs at Tef about 6000K.
Mindful of small number statistics, we speculate on its possible evolutionary
significance. We find that the incidence of magnetic white dwarfs in the 25 pc
sample is at least 8%, in our volume-limited sample, dominated by cool white
dwarfs. We derive approximate formation rates of DB and DQ degenerates and
present a preliminary test of the evolutionary scenario that all cooling DB
stars become DQ white dwarfs via helium convective dredge-up with the diffusion
tail of carbon extending upward from their cores.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journa
Intermediate and narrow band photometry of Epsilon Aurigae
Intermediate band blue (4530A), far red (7790A) and H-alpha intermediate and narrow band photoelectric observations of the peculiar, 27 year eclipsing binary, Epsilon Aurigae were made from December 1981 through the present (December 1984). BD +42 1170 served as the primary comparison star because of its angular proximity to the variable star. The analysis of this data along with other available photometry was undertaken to study the characteristics of the low amplitude, semi-regular light variations that appear inside and outside of eclipse. It appears that these short term light variations arise from nonradial pulsations of the luminous f supergiant in the system. Furthermore, the semi-regular light variations found for Epsilon Aurigae are similar to those found for other luminous A-F supergiants. Also, the preliminary results from the analyses of the light variations produced by the eclipse of the F-supergiant by the mysterious cooler component is discussed
Revised physical elements of the astrophysically important O9.5+O9.5V eclipsing binary system Y Cyg
Thanks to its long and rich observational history and rapid apsidal motion,
the massive eclipsing binary Y Cyg represents one of the cornestones to
critical tests of stellar evolution theory for massive stars. Yet, the
determination of the basic physical properties is less accurate than it could
be given the existing number of spectral and photometric observations. Our goal
is to analyze all these data simultaneously with the new dedicated series of
our own spectral and photometric observations from observatories widely
separated in longitude. We obtained new series of UBV observations at three
observatories separated in local time to obtain complete light curves of Y Cyg
for its orbital period close to 3 days. This new photometry was reduced and
carefully transformed to the standard UBV system using the HEC22 program. We
also obtained new series of red spectra secured at two observatories and
re-analyzed earlier obtained blue electronic spectra. Our analyses provide the
most accurate so far published value of the apsidal period of 47.805 +/- 0.030
yrs and the following physical elements: M1=17.72+/-0.35$ Msun, M2=17.73+/-0.30
Msun, R1=5.785+/-0.091 Rsun, and R2=5.816+/-0.063 Rsun. The disentangling thus
resulted in the masses, which are somewhat higher than all previous
determinations and virtually the same for both stars, while the light curve
implies a slighly higher radius and luminosity for star 2. The above empirical
values imply the logarithm of the internal structure constant log k2 = -1.937.
A comparison with Claret's stellar interior models implies an age close to 2
millions yrs for both stars. The claimed accuracy of modern element
determination of 1-2 per cent seems still a bit too optimistic and obtaining
new high-dispersion and high-resolution spectra is desirable.Comment: 13 pages; accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
A New Look at the Local White Dwarf Population
We have conducted a detailed new survey of the local population of white dwarfs lying within 20 pc of the Sun. A new revised catalog of local white dwarfs containing 122 entries (126 individual degenerate stars) is presented. This list contains 27 white dwarfs not included in a previous list from 2002, as well as new and recently published trigonometric parallaxes. In several cases new members of the local white dwarf population have come to light through accurate photometric distance estimates. In addition, a suspected new double degenerate system (WD 0423+120) has been identified. The 20 pc sample is currently estimated to be 80% complete. Using a variety of recent spectroscopic, photometric, and trigonometric distance determinations, we re-compute a space density of 4.8 ± 0.5 × 10−3 pc−3 corresponding to a mass density of 3.2 ± 0.3 × 10−3 M pc−3 from the complete portion of the sample within 13 pc. We find an overall mean mass for the local white dwarfs of 0.665 M, a value larger than most other non-volume-limited estimates. Although the sample is small, we find no evidence of a correlation between mass and temperature in which white dwarfs below 13,000 K are systematically more massive than those above this temperature. Within 20 pc 25% of the white dwarfs are in binary systems (including double degenerate systems). Approximately 6% are double degenerates and 6.5% are Sirius-like systems. The fraction of magnetic white dwarfs in the local population is found to be 13%
Spectroscopic analysis of DA white dwarfs from the McCook & Sion catalog
For some years now, we have been gathering optical spectra of DA white dwarfs
in an effort to study and define the empirical ZZ Ceti instability strip.
However, we have recently expanded this survey to include all the DA white
dwarfs in the McCook & Sion catalog down to a limiting visual magnitude of
V=17.5. We present here a spectroscopic analysis of over 1000 DA white dwarfs
from this ongoing survey. We have several specific areas of interest most
notably the hot DAO white dwarfs, the ZZ Ceti instability strip, and the DA+dM
binary systems. Furthermore, we present a comparison of the ensemble properties
of our sample with those of other large surveys of DA white dwarfs, paying
particular attention to the distribution of mass as a function of effective
temperature.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Journal of Physics Conference
Proceedings for the 16th European White Dwarf Worksho
On the nature of the FBS blue stellar objects and the completeness of the Bright Quasar Survey. II
In Paper I (Mickaelian et al. 1999), we compared the surface density of QSOs
in the Bright Quasar Survey (BQS) and in the First Byurakan Survey (FBS) and
concluded that the completeness of the BQS is of the order of 70% rather than
30-50% as suggested by several authors. A number of new observations recently
became available, allowing a re-evaluation of this completeness. We now obtain
a surface density of QSOs brighter than B = 16.16 in a subarea of the FBS
covering ~2250 deg^2, equal to 0.012 deg^-2 (26 QSOs), implying a completeness
of 53+/-10%.Comment: LaTeX 2e, 11 pages, 3 tables and 3 figures (included in text). To
appear in Astrophysics. Uses a modified aaspp4.sty (my_aaspp4.sty), included
in packag
The galactic population of white dwarfs
Original paper can be found at: http://www.iop.org/EJ/conf DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/172/1/012004 [16th European White Dwarfs Workshop]The contribution of white dwarfs of the different Galactic populations to the stellar content of our Galaxy is only poorly known. Some authors claim a vast population of halo white dwarfs, which would be in accordance with some investigations of the early phases of Galaxy formation claiming a top-heavy initial– mass– function. Here, I present a model of the population of white dwarfs in the Milky Way based on observations of the local white dwarf sample and a standard model of Galactic structure. This model will be used to estimate the space densities of thin disc, thick disc and halo white dwarfs and their contribution to the baryonic mass budget of the Milky Way. One result of this investigation is that white dwarfs of the halo population contribute a large fraction of the Galactic white dwarf number count, but they are not responsible for the lion's share of stellar mass in the Milky Way. Another important result is the substantial contribution of the – often neglected – population of thick disc white dwarfs. Misclassification of thick disc white dwarfs is responsible for overestimates of the halo population in previous investigations.Peer reviewe
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