Open AccessGalactic models and white dwarf populations
Author(s) -
Castellani V.,
Cigi M.,
Degl'Innocenti S.,
Petroni S.,
Prada Moroni P. G.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05461.x
Subject(s) - physics , white dwarf , astrophysics , luminosity , astronomy , luminosity function , initial mass function , star (game theory) , star formation , stars , galaxy
We make use of a previous well‐tested Galactic model, but describing the observational behaviour of the various stellar components in terms of suitable assumptions on their evolutionary status. In this way we are able to predict the expected distribution of Galactic white dwarfs (WDs), with results which appear in rather good agreement with recent estimates of the local WD luminosity function. The predicted occurrence of WDs in deep observations of selected Galactic fields is presented, and we discuss the role played by WDs in star counts. The effects on the theoretical predictions of different white dwarf evolutionary models, ages, initial mass functions and relations between progenitor mass and WD mass are also discussed.