Open AccessWhite dwarf mass distribution in the SDSS
Author(s) -
Kepler S. O.,
Kleinman S. J.,
Nitta A.,
Koester D.,
Castanheira B. G.,
Giovannini O.,
Costa A. F. M.,
Althaus L.
Publication year - 2007
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11388.x
Subject(s) - physics , white dwarf , stars , astrophysics , sky , effective temperature , spectral line , surface gravity , low mass , astronomy
We determined masses for the 7167 DA and 507 DB white dwarf stars classified as single and non‐magnetic in Data Release 4 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We obtained revised T eff and log g determinations for the most massive stars by fitting the SDSS optical spectra with a synthetic spectra grid derived from model atmospheres extending to log g = 10.0 . We also calculate radii from evolutionary models and create volume‐corrected mass distributions for our DA and DB samples. The mean mass for the DA stars brighter than g = 19 and hotter than T eff = 12 000 K is . For the 150 DBs brighter than g = 19 and hotter than T eff = 16 000 K , we find . It appears the mean mass for DB white dwarf stars may be significantly larger than that for DAs. We also report the highest mass white dwarf stars ever found, up to .