A Gravitational Redshift Determination Of The Mean Mass Of DBA White Dwarfs

Date
2010-08
Authors
Falcon, R. E.
Winget, D. E.
Montgomery, M. H.
Williams, K. A.
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Abstract

We measure apparent velocities (v(app)) of the H alpha and H beta Balmer line cores for 16 helium-dominated white dwarfs (WDs) using optical spectra taken for the European Southern Observatory SN Ia progenitor survey (SPY). Following the gravitational redshift method employed by Falcon et al. [1], we find a mean apparent velocity of (v(app)) = 39.58 +/- 4.41 km s(-1) and use it to derive a mean mass of < M > = 0.701(-0.046)(+0.042) M(circle dot). Though the sample is small, the mean mass appears to be larger than the mean mass of DAs derived using the same method [0.647(-0.014)(+0.013) M(circle dot), 1]

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Citation
Ross E. Falcon, D. E. Winget, M. H. Montgomery, Kurtis A. Williams. AIP Conference Proceedings 1273, 13 (Aug., 2010); doi: 10.1063/1.3527790