The White Dwarf Luminosity Function from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Imaging Data

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

The White Dwarf Luminosity Function from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Imaging Data

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

Physical Sciences

US Naval Observatory
University of Texas at Austin
University of Arizona, Steward Observatory
US Naval Observator
Apache Point Observatory
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
University of Tokyo, Institute for Cosmic Ray Reserach
Princeton University Observatory
Los Alamos National Laboratory; University of Wyoming
The Pennsylvania State University

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

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; kinematicsmodels 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	American English
Journal	The Astronomical Journal
Volume	131
State	Published - Jan 1 2006

Keywords

astrometry
solar neighborhood
stars: kinematics
stars: luminosity function
mass function
white dwarfs

Disciplines

Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy

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Harris, H. C., Munn, J. A., Kilic, M., Liebert, J. W., Williams, K. A., von Hippel, T., Levine, S. E., Monet, D. G., Eisenstein, D. J., Kleinman, S. J., Metcalfe, T. S., Nikka, 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. The Astronomical Journal, 131.

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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; kinematicsmodels 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 Liebert, \{James W.\} 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 Nikka 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.\}",

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language = "American English",

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journal = "The Astronomical Journal",

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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 W.

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 - Nikka, 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 - 2006/1/1

Y1 - 2006/1/1

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; kinematicsmodels 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; kinematicsmodels 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

KW - mass function

KW - white dwarfs

UR - https://commons.erau.edu/publication/219

M3 - Article

SN - 1538-3881

VL - 131

JO - The Astronomical Journal

JF - The Astronomical Journal

ER -

The White Dwarf Luminosity Function from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Imaging Data

Abstract

Keywords

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