A second stellar color locus: A bridge from white dwarfs to M stars

Vernesa Smolčić; Željko Ivezić; Gillian R. Knapp; Robert H. Lupton; Krešimir Pavlovski; Saša Ilijić; David Schlegel; J. Allyn Smith; Peregrine M. McGehee; Nicole M. Silvestri; Suzanne L. Hawley; Constance Rockosi; James E. Gunn; Michael A. Strauss; Xiaohui Fan; Daniel Eisenstein; Hugh Harris

doi:10.1086/426475

A second stellar color locus: A bridge from white dwarfs to M stars

Vernesa Smolčić, Željko Ivezić, Gillian R. Knapp, Robert H. Lupton, Krešimir Pavlovski, Saša Ilijić, David Schlegel, J. Allyn Smith, Peregrine M. McGehee, Nicole M. Silvestri, Suzanne L. Hawley, Constance Rockosi, James E. Gunn, Michael A. Strauss, Xiaohui Fan, Daniel Eisenstein, Hugh Harris

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

68 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the discovery of a locus of binary stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) g-r versus u-g color-color diagram that connects the colors of white dwarfs and M dwarfs. While its contrast with respect to the main stellar locus is only ∼1 : 2300, this previously unrecognized feature includes 863 stars from the SDSS Data Release 1 (DR1). The position and shape of the feature are in good agreement with predictions of a simple binary star model that consists of a white dwarf and an M dwarf, with the components' luminosity ratio controlling the position along this binary system locus. SDSS DR1 spectra for 47 of these objects strongly support this model. The absolute magnitude-color distribution inferred for the white dwarf component is in good agreement with the models of Bergeron et al.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L141-L144
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	615
Issue number	2 II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/426475
State	Published - Nov 10 2004

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Keywords

Binaries: general
Galaxy: stellar content
Stars: statistics
White dwarfs

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Smolčić, V., Ivezić, Ž., Knapp, G. R., Lupton, R. H., Pavlovski, K., Ilijić, S., Schlegel, D., Smith, J. A., McGehee, P. M., Silvestri, N. M., Hawley, S. L., Rockosi, C., Gunn, J. E., Strauss, M. A., Fan, X., Eisenstein, D., & Harris, H. (2004). A second stellar color locus: A bridge from white dwarfs to M stars. Astrophysical Journal, 615(2 II), L141-L144. https://doi.org/10.1086/426475

Smolčić, Vernesa ; Ivezić, Željko ; Knapp, Gillian R. ; Lupton, Robert H. ; Pavlovski, Krešimir ; Ilijić, Saša ; Schlegel, David ; Smith, J. Allyn ; McGehee, Peregrine M. ; Silvestri, Nicole M. ; Hawley, Suzanne L. ; Rockosi, Constance ; Gunn, James E. ; Strauss, Michael A. ; Fan, Xiaohui ; Eisenstein, Daniel ; Harris, Hugh. / A second stellar color locus : A bridge from white dwarfs to M stars. In: Astrophysical Journal. 2004 ; Vol. 615, No. 2 II. pp. L141-L144.

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title = "A second stellar color locus: A bridge from white dwarfs to M stars",

abstract = "We report the discovery of a locus of binary stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) g-r versus u-g color-color diagram that connects the colors of white dwarfs and M dwarfs. While its contrast with respect to the main stellar locus is only ∼1 : 2300, this previously unrecognized feature includes 863 stars from the SDSS Data Release 1 (DR1). The position and shape of the feature are in good agreement with predictions of a simple binary star model that consists of a white dwarf and an M dwarf, with the components' luminosity ratio controlling the position along this binary system locus. SDSS DR1 spectra for 47 of these objects strongly support this model. The absolute magnitude-color distribution inferred for the white dwarf component is in good agreement with the models of Bergeron et al.",

keywords = "Binaries: general, Galaxy: stellar content, Stars: statistics, White dwarfs",

author = "Vernesa Smol{\v c}i{\'c} and {\v Z}eljko Ivezi{\'c} and Knapp, {Gillian R.} and Lupton, {Robert H.} and Kre{\v s}imir Pavlovski and Sa{\v s}a Iliji{\'c} and David Schlegel and Smith, {J. Allyn} and McGehee, {Peregrine M.} and Silvestri, {Nicole M.} and Hawley, {Suzanne L.} and Constance Rockosi and Gunn, {James E.} and Strauss, {Michael A.} and Xiaohui Fan and Daniel Eisenstein and Hugh Harris",

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doi = "10.1086/426475",

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Smolčić, V, Ivezić, Ž, Knapp, GR, Lupton, RH, Pavlovski, K, Ilijić, S, Schlegel, D, Smith, JA, McGehee, PM, Silvestri, NM, Hawley, SL, Rockosi, C, Gunn, JE, Strauss, MA, Fan, X, Eisenstein, D & Harris, H 2004, 'A second stellar color locus: A bridge from white dwarfs to M stars', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 615, no. 2 II, pp. L141-L144. https://doi.org/10.1086/426475

A second stellar color locus : A bridge from white dwarfs to M stars. / Smolčić, Vernesa; Ivezić, Željko; Knapp, Gillian R.; Lupton, Robert H.; Pavlovski, Krešimir; Ilijić, Saša; Schlegel, David; Smith, J. Allyn; McGehee, Peregrine M.; Silvestri, Nicole M.; Hawley, Suzanne L.; Rockosi, Constance; Gunn, James E.; Strauss, Michael A.; Fan, Xiaohui; Eisenstein, Daniel; Harris, Hugh.

In: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 615, No. 2 II, 10.11.2004, p. L141-L144.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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T2 - A bridge from white dwarfs to M stars

AU - Smolčić, Vernesa

AU - Ivezić, Željko

AU - Knapp, Gillian R.

AU - Lupton, Robert H.

AU - Pavlovski, Krešimir

AU - Ilijić, Saša

AU - Schlegel, David

AU - Smith, J. Allyn

AU - McGehee, Peregrine M.

AU - Silvestri, Nicole M.

AU - Hawley, Suzanne L.

AU - Rockosi, Constance

AU - Gunn, James E.

AU - Strauss, Michael A.

AU - Fan, Xiaohui

AU - Eisenstein, Daniel

AU - Harris, Hugh

PY - 2004/11/10

Y1 - 2004/11/10

N2 - We report the discovery of a locus of binary stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) g-r versus u-g color-color diagram that connects the colors of white dwarfs and M dwarfs. While its contrast with respect to the main stellar locus is only ∼1 : 2300, this previously unrecognized feature includes 863 stars from the SDSS Data Release 1 (DR1). The position and shape of the feature are in good agreement with predictions of a simple binary star model that consists of a white dwarf and an M dwarf, with the components' luminosity ratio controlling the position along this binary system locus. SDSS DR1 spectra for 47 of these objects strongly support this model. The absolute magnitude-color distribution inferred for the white dwarf component is in good agreement with the models of Bergeron et al.

AB - We report the discovery of a locus of binary stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) g-r versus u-g color-color diagram that connects the colors of white dwarfs and M dwarfs. While its contrast with respect to the main stellar locus is only ∼1 : 2300, this previously unrecognized feature includes 863 stars from the SDSS Data Release 1 (DR1). The position and shape of the feature are in good agreement with predictions of a simple binary star model that consists of a white dwarf and an M dwarf, with the components' luminosity ratio controlling the position along this binary system locus. SDSS DR1 spectra for 47 of these objects strongly support this model. The absolute magnitude-color distribution inferred for the white dwarf component is in good agreement with the models of Bergeron et al.

KW - Binaries: general

KW - Galaxy: stellar content

KW - Stars: statistics

KW - White dwarfs

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