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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The White Dwarfs Within 20 Parsecs Of The Sun: Kinematics And Statistics, Edward M. Sion, J. B. Holberg, Terry D. Oswalt, George P. Mccook, Richard Wasatonic Oct 2009

The White Dwarfs Within 20 Parsecs Of The Sun: Kinematics And Statistics, Edward M. Sion, J. B. Holberg, Terry D. Oswalt, George P. Mccook, Richard Wasatonic

Publications

We present the kinematical properties, distribution of spectroscopic subtypes, and stellar population subcomponents of the white dwarfs within 20 pc of the Sun.We find no convincing evidence of halo white dwarfs in the total 20 pc sample of 129 white dwarfs nor is there convincing evidence of genuine thick disk subcomponent members within 20 parsecs. Virtually, the entire 20 pc sample likely belongs to the thin disk. The total DA to non-DA ratio of the 20 pc sample is 1.6, a manifestation of deepening envelope convection which transforms DA stars with sufficiently thin H surface layers into non-DAs. The addition …


A Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Survey Of Cool White Dwarfs In The Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Mukremin Kilic, Piotr M. Kowalski, Ted Von Hippel Jul 2009

A Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Survey Of Cool White Dwarfs In The Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Mukremin Kilic, Piotr M. Kowalski, Ted Von Hippel

Publications

We present near-infrared photometric observations of 15 and spectroscopic observations of 38 cool white dwarfs (WDs). This is the largest near-infrared spectroscopic survey of cool WDs to date. Combining the Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometry and our near-infrared data, we perform a detailed model atmosphere analysis. The spectral energy distributions of our objects are explained fairly well by model atmospheres with temperatures ranging from 6300 K down to 4200 K. Two WDs show significant absorption in the infrared, and are best explained with mixed H/He atmosphere models. Based on the up-to-date model atmosphere calculations by Kowalski & Saumon, we find …


Spitzer Observations Of The Oldest White Dwarfs In The Solar Neighborhood, Mukremin Kilic, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al. May 2009

Spitzer Observations Of The Oldest White Dwarfs In The Solar Neighborhood, Mukremin Kilic, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al.

Publications

We present Spitzer 5-15 μm spectroscopy of one cool white dwarf and 3.6-8 μm photometry of 51 cool white dwarfs with T eff < 6000 K. The majority of our targets have accurate BVRIJHKphotometry and trigonometric parallax measurements available, which enables us to perform a detailed model atmosphere analysis using their optical, near- and mid-infrared photometry with state-of-the-art model atmospheres. We demonstrate that the optical and infrared spectral energy distributions of cool white dwarfs are well reproduced by our grid of models. Our best-fit models are consistent with the observations within 5% in all filters except the IRAC 8 μm band, which has the lowest signal-to-noise ratio photometry. Excluding …


Inverting Color–Magnitude Diagrams To Access Precise Star Cluster Parameters: A New White Dwarf Age For The Hyades, Steven Degennaro, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al. May 2009

Inverting Color–Magnitude Diagrams To Access Precise Star Cluster Parameters: A New White Dwarf Age For The Hyades, Steven Degennaro, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al.

Publications

We have extended our Bayesian modeling of stellar clusters—which uses main-sequence stellar evolution models, a mapping between initial masses and white dwarf (WD) masses, WD cooling models, and WD atmospheres—to include binary stars, field stars, and two additional main-sequence stellar evolution models. As a critical test of our Bayesian modeling technique, we apply it to Hyades UBV photometry, with membership priors based on proper motions and radial velocities, where available. Under the assumption of a particular set of WD cooling models and atmosphere models, we estimate the age of the Hyades based on cooling WDs to be 648 ± 45 …


Book Review: Clocks In The Sky: The Story Of Pulsars, T. D. Oswalt May 2009

Book Review: Clocks In The Sky: The Story Of Pulsars, T. D. Oswalt

Publications

This document is Dr. Oswalt’s review of Clocks in the Sky: The Story of Pulsars by Geoff McNamara, Springer/Praxis, 2008 190p, 9780387765600 $29.95.


Multisite Photometry Of The Pulsating Herbig Ae Star V346 Ori, S. Bernabei, Terry D. Oswalt, V. Ripepi, A. Ruoppo, Et Al. Apr 2009

Multisite Photometry Of The Pulsating Herbig Ae Star V346 Ori, S. Bernabei, Terry D. Oswalt, V. Ripepi, A. Ruoppo, Et Al.

Publications

The study of pulsation in Pre--Main--Sequence intermediate-mass stars represents an important tool for deriving information on fundamental stellar parameters and internal structure, as well as for testing current theoretical models. Interest in this class of variable stars has significantly increased during the last decade and about 30 members are presently known in the literature. AIMS: We have constructed the frequency spectrum of the oscillations in V346 Ori. We apply asteroseismic tools to these data to estimate the intrinsic parameters (mass, luminosity, effective temperature) of V346 Ori and to obtain information on its internal structure. METHODS: CCD time series photometry in …


The Dust Cloud Around The White Dwarf G 29-38. Ii. Spectrum From 5 To 40 Μm And Mid-Infrared Photometric Variability, William T. Reach, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al. Mar 2009

The Dust Cloud Around The White Dwarf G 29-38. Ii. Spectrum From 5 To 40 Μm And Mid-Infrared Photometric Variability, William T. Reach, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al.

Publications

We model the mineralogy and distribution of dust around the white dwarf G29-39 using the infrared spectrum from 1 to 35 μm. The spectral model for G29-38 dust combines a wide range of materials based on spectral studies of comets and debris disks. In order of their contribution to the mid-infrared emission, the most abundant minerals around G29-38 are amorphous carbon (λ < 8 μm), amorphous and crystalline silicates (5-40 μm), water ice (10-15 and 23-35 μm), and metal sulfides (18-28 μm). The amorphous C can be equivalently replaced by other materials (like metallic Fe) with featureless infrared spectra. The best-fitting crystalline silicate is Fe-rich pyroxene. In order to absorb enough starlight to power the observed emission, the disk must either be much thinner than the stellar radius (so that it can be heated from above and below) or it must have an opening angle wider than 2°. A "moderately optically thick" torus model fits well if the dust extends inward to 50 times the white dwarf radius, all grains hotter than 1100 K are vaporized, the optical depth from the star through the disk is τ∥ = 5, and the radial density profile ∝r –2.7; the total mass of this model disk is 2 × 1019 g. A physically thin (less than the white dwarf radius) and optically thick disk can contribute to the near-infrared continuum only; such a disk cannot …


Statistical Analysis Of Stellar Evolution, David A. Van Dyk, Ted Von Hippel, Steven Degenarro, Nathan Stein, William Jefferys Jan 2009

Statistical Analysis Of Stellar Evolution, David A. Van Dyk, Ted Von Hippel, Steven Degenarro, Nathan Stein, William Jefferys

Publications

Color-Magnitude Diagrams (CMDs) are plots that compare the magnitudes (luminosities) of stars in different wavelengths of light (colors). High nonlinear correlations among the mass, color, and surface temperature of newly formed stars induce a long narrow curved point cloud in a CMD known as the main sequence. Aging stars form new CMD groups of red giants and white dwarfs. The physical processes that govern this evolution can be described with mathematical models and explored using complex computer models. These calculations are designed to predict the plotted magnitudes as a function of parameters of scientific interest, such as stellar age, mass, …