In this paper we present new and improved data on 38 cool white dwarfs
identified by Oppenheimer et al. 2001 (OHDHS) as candidate dark halo objects.
Using the high-res spectra obtained with LRIS, we measure radial velocities for
13 WDs that show an H alpha line. We show that the knowledge of RVs decreases
the UV-plane velocities by only 6%. The radial velocity sample has a W-velocity
dispersion of sig_W = 59 km/s--in between the values associated with the thick
disk and the stellar halo. We also see indications for the presence of two
populations by analyzing the velocities in the UV plane. In addition, we
present CCD photometry for half of the sample, and with it recalibrate the
photographic photometry of the remaining WDs. Using the new photometry in
standard bands, and by applying the appropriate color-magnitude relations for H
and He atmospheres, we obtain new distance estimates. New distances of the WDs
that were not originally selected as halo candidates yield 13 new candidates.
On average, new distances produce velocities in the UV plane that are larger by
10%, with already fast objects gaining more. Using the new data, while applying
the same UV-velocity cut (94 km/s) as in OHDHS, we find a density of cool WDs
of 1.7e-4 pc^-3, confirming the value of OHDHS. In addition, we derive the
density as a function of the UV-velocity cutoff. The density (corrected for
losses due to higher UV cuts) starts to flatten out at 150 km/s (0.4e-4 pc^-3),
and is minimized (thus minimizing a possible non-halo contamination) at 190
km/s (0.3e-4 pc^-3). These densities are in a rough agreement with the
estimates for the stellar halo WDs, corresponding to a factor of 1.9 and 1.4
higher values.Comment: Accepted to ApJ. New version contains some additional data. Results
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