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New model atmosphere analyses of cool white dwarfs: a revised luminosity function and constraints on the age of the Galaxy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2016

S.K. Leggett ,
P. Bergeron  and
Maria Teresa Ruiz
S.K. Leggett
Affiliation:
UKIRT Joint Astronomy Centre, Hilo Hawaii
P. Bergeron
Affiliation:
Lockheed Martin Canada
Maria Teresa Ruiz
Affiliation:
Departamento de Astronomia, Universidad de Chile

Abstract

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We have obtained new photometric and spectroscopic data for a large sample of cool white dwarfs. These data have been analysed with state-of-the-art model atmospheres and effective temperatures and atmospheric compositions have been determined (Bergeron, Ruiz & Leggett 1997). Radii and masses have also been obtained for those stars with accurate parallax measurements. These high quality data and models allow us to produce an improved cool white dwarf luminosity function based on the Liebert, Dahn & Monet (1988) proper motion sample. The turn-over seen at the faint end of this luminosity function, combined with theoretical cooling sequences, enable us to constrain the age of the local region of the Galaxy.

Type
Stellar Ages
Information
Symposium - International Astronomical Union , Volume 189: Fundamental Stellar Properties: The Interaction Between Observation and Theory , 1997 , pp. 429 - 432
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1997 

References

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