Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Jul 2003
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003hst..prop.9762b&link_type=abstract
HST Proposal ID #9762
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Hst Proposal Id #9762 Hot Stars
Scientific paper
We propose timely STIS observations of Sirius B, that will provide fundamental astrophysical data on this very important, but difficult to study, white dwarf. High quality spectra of the Balmer line region will provide accurate, modern measurements of its gravitational redshift, effective temperature, surface gravity and absolute flux. From these measurements, precise determinations of the spectroscopic mass and radius can be made, that will approach a 1% uncertainty. At this level, it will be possible to: 1} directly compare the spectroscopic and astrometric masses at a comparable level of accuracy, 2} precisely test the theoretical mass-radius relation for a 1 solar mass white dwarf, 3} distinguish between thick and thin H layer masses and 4} confirm the widely used method of estimating white dwarf masses from the Balmer lines. The only existing Balmer line observations of Sirius B are those of Greenstein et al. {1971} from the days of photographic plates. The increasing separation of the components now permits STIS observations at a time when new astrometric and far UV observations are available.
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