Very Cool White Dwarfs in the SDSS

Details Very Cool White Dwarfs in the SDSS Very Cool White Dwarfs in the SDSS

May 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...210.2001g&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society Meeting 210, #20.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.121

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

The coolest and dimmest white dwarfs may be among the oldest objects in the Galaxy and can be used to date galactic populations. In the last decade, cooling curves for these objects have been extended to much lower temperatures, indicating a unique spectral profile, and hence colors, caused by collisionally-induced absorption (CIA) by molecular hydrogen at temperatures below about 5000K. So far, however, only a handful of these coolest white dwarfs have been observed.
We have begun a program of systematic search and follow-up to significantly increase the number of known ultra-cool white dwarfs with temperatures below 4000K. Utilizing Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopic and photometric data we have identified a pool of candidates showing colors, proper motions and visible light spectroscopic signatures consistent with very cool white dwarfs. We are performing J, H, and Ks band near-IR follow-up with the APO 3.5 meter to confirm the existence of a strong CIA feature expected for ultra-cool white dwarfs.
So far around 10 new very cool white dwarfs have been found in the SDSS. In addition, many more show colors and temperatures for which CIA is just becoming effective. The discovery and characterization of many more very cool and ultra-cool white dwarfs with temperatures near and below 4000 K will provide needed constraints to white dwarf cooling models at the end of the cooling sequence.

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