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Scientific paper
Jul 2000
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000hst..prop.8649p&link_type=abstract
HST Proposal ID #8649
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Hst Proposal Id #8649 Hot Stars
Scientific paper
The composition and structure of white dwarf stars contain a wealth of information about processes occurring in contemporary main sequence stars like our sun. We use this information to build theoretical models placing limits on the star formation history and age of the Galactic disk. One of the largest uncertainties in our models is the unknown core composition of a white dwarf. We generally assume a mixture of carbon and oxygen, but the exact ratio is unknown. This uncertainty introduces a 20 dwarfs offer our only opportunity to directly observe the actual carbon/oxygen ratio in a white dwarf core. DQs are are otherwise normal helium-rich stars displaying carbon features in their spectra. The observed carbon in these objects results from dredge-up of the underlying core by the helium convection zone. Recent theoretical work argues that oxygen should also be present in detectable amounts in the more massive DQ stars. We propose a modest investment of HST time to determine for the first time whether a white dwarf core contains a substantial quantity of oxygen. We will search for trace amounts of oxygen in the atmosphere of a massive DQ as an important step towards resolving this question.
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