The white dwarf luminosity function from sloan digital sky survey imaging data

Hugh C. Harris; Jeffrey A. Munn; Mukremin Kilic; James Liebert; Kurtis A. Williams; Ted Von Hippel; Stephen E. Levine; David G. Monet; Daniel J. Eisenstein; S. J. Kleinman; T. S. Metcalfe; Atsuko Nitta; D. E. Winget; J. Brinkmann; Masataka Fukugita; G. R. Knapp; Robert H. Lupton; J. Allyn Smith; Donald P. Schneider

doi:10.1086/497966

The white dwarf luminosity function from sloan digital sky survey imaging data

Hugh C. Harris, Jeffrey A. Munn, Mukremin Kilic, James Liebert, Kurtis A. Williams, Ted Von Hippel, Stephen E. Levine, David G. Monet, Daniel J. Eisenstein, S. J. Kleinman, T. S. Metcalfe, Atsuko Nitta, D. E. Winget, J. Brinkmann, Masataka Fukugita, G. R. Knapp, Robert H. Lupton, J. Allyn Smith, Donald P. Schneider

Astrophysical Sciences

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152 Scopus citations

Abstract

A sample of white dwarfs is selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 3 using their reduced proper motions, based on improved proper motions from combined SDSS and USNO-B data. Numerous SDSS and follow-up spectra (Kilic and coworkers) are used to quantify completeness and contamination of the sample; kinematics models are used to understand and correct for velocity-dependent selection biases. A luminosity function is constructed covering the range 7 < M _bol < 16, and its sensitivity to various assumptions and selection limits is discussed. The white dwarf luminosity function based on 6000 stars is remarkably smooth and rises nearly monotonically to M _bol = 15.3. It then drops abruptly, although the small number of low-luminosity stars in the sample and their unknown atmospheric composition prevent quantitative conclusions about this decline. Stars are identified that may have high tangential velocities, and a preliminary luminosity function is constructed for them.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	571-581
Number of pages	11
Journal	Astronomical Journal
Volume	131
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/497966
State	Published - Jan 2006

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Keywords

Astrometry
Solar neighborhood
Stars: kinematics
Stars: luminosity function, mass function
White dwarfs

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10.1086/497966

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Harris, H. C., Munn, J. A., Kilic, M., Liebert, J., Williams, K. A., Von Hippel, T., Levine, S. E., Monet, D. G., Eisenstein, D. J., Kleinman, S. J., Metcalfe, T. S., Nitta, A., Winget, D. E., Brinkmann, J., Fukugita, M., Knapp, G. R., Lupton, R. H., Smith, J. A., & Schneider, D. P. (2006). The white dwarf luminosity function from sloan digital sky survey imaging data. Astronomical Journal, 131(1), 571-581. https://doi.org/10.1086/497966

@article{5bb3fc871e9247b2939030f02bbbda56,

title = "The white dwarf luminosity function from sloan digital sky survey imaging data",

abstract = "A sample of white dwarfs is selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 3 using their reduced proper motions, based on improved proper motions from combined SDSS and USNO-B data. Numerous SDSS and follow-up spectra (Kilic and coworkers) are used to quantify completeness and contamination of the sample; kinematics models are used to understand and correct for velocity-dependent selection biases. A luminosity function is constructed covering the range 7 < M bol < 16, and its sensitivity to various assumptions and selection limits is discussed. The white dwarf luminosity function based on 6000 stars is remarkably smooth and rises nearly monotonically to M bol = 15.3. It then drops abruptly, although the small number of low-luminosity stars in the sample and their unknown atmospheric composition prevent quantitative conclusions about this decline. Stars are identified that may have high tangential velocities, and a preliminary luminosity function is constructed for them.",

keywords = "Astrometry, Solar neighborhood, Stars: kinematics, Stars: luminosity function, mass function, White dwarfs",

author = "Harris, {Hugh C.} and Munn, {Jeffrey A.} and Mukremin Kilic and James Liebert and Williams, {Kurtis A.} and {Von Hippel}, Ted and Levine, {Stephen E.} and Monet, {David G.} and Eisenstein, {Daniel J.} and Kleinman, {S. J.} and Metcalfe, {T. S.} and Atsuko Nitta and Winget, {D. E.} and J. Brinkmann and Masataka Fukugita and Knapp, {G. R.} and Lupton, {Robert H.} and Smith, {J. Allyn} and Schneider, {Donald P.}",

year = "2006",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1086/497966",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "131",

pages = "571--581",

journal = "Astronomical Journal",

issn = "0004-6256",

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Harris, HC, Munn, JA, Kilic, M, Liebert, J, Williams, KA, Von Hippel, T, Levine, SE, Monet, DG, Eisenstein, DJ, Kleinman, SJ, Metcalfe, TS, Nitta, A, Winget, DE, Brinkmann, J, Fukugita, M, Knapp, GR, Lupton, RH, Smith, JA & Schneider, DP 2006, 'The white dwarf luminosity function from sloan digital sky survey imaging data', Astronomical Journal, vol. 131, no. 1, pp. 571-581. https://doi.org/10.1086/497966

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T1 - The white dwarf luminosity function from sloan digital sky survey imaging data

AU - Harris, Hugh C.

AU - Munn, Jeffrey A.

AU - Kilic, Mukremin

AU - Liebert, James

AU - Williams, Kurtis A.

AU - Von Hippel, Ted

AU - Levine, Stephen E.

AU - Monet, David G.

AU - Eisenstein, Daniel J.

AU - Kleinman, S. J.

AU - Metcalfe, T. S.

AU - Nitta, Atsuko

AU - Winget, D. E.

AU - Brinkmann, J.

AU - Fukugita, Masataka

AU - Knapp, G. R.

AU - Lupton, Robert H.

AU - Smith, J. Allyn

AU - Schneider, Donald P.

PY - 2006/1

Y1 - 2006/1

N2 - A sample of white dwarfs is selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 3 using their reduced proper motions, based on improved proper motions from combined SDSS and USNO-B data. Numerous SDSS and follow-up spectra (Kilic and coworkers) are used to quantify completeness and contamination of the sample; kinematics models are used to understand and correct for velocity-dependent selection biases. A luminosity function is constructed covering the range 7 < M bol < 16, and its sensitivity to various assumptions and selection limits is discussed. The white dwarf luminosity function based on 6000 stars is remarkably smooth and rises nearly monotonically to M bol = 15.3. It then drops abruptly, although the small number of low-luminosity stars in the sample and their unknown atmospheric composition prevent quantitative conclusions about this decline. Stars are identified that may have high tangential velocities, and a preliminary luminosity function is constructed for them.

AB - A sample of white dwarfs is selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 3 using their reduced proper motions, based on improved proper motions from combined SDSS and USNO-B data. Numerous SDSS and follow-up spectra (Kilic and coworkers) are used to quantify completeness and contamination of the sample; kinematics models are used to understand and correct for velocity-dependent selection biases. A luminosity function is constructed covering the range 7 < M bol < 16, and its sensitivity to various assumptions and selection limits is discussed. The white dwarf luminosity function based on 6000 stars is remarkably smooth and rises nearly monotonically to M bol = 15.3. It then drops abruptly, although the small number of low-luminosity stars in the sample and their unknown atmospheric composition prevent quantitative conclusions about this decline. Stars are identified that may have high tangential velocities, and a preliminary luminosity function is constructed for them.

KW - Astrometry

KW - Solar neighborhood

KW - Stars: kinematics

KW - Stars: luminosity function, mass function

KW - White dwarfs

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JO - Astronomical Journal

JF - Astronomical Journal

IS - 1

ER -

The white dwarf luminosity function from sloan digital sky survey imaging data

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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