A determination of the space density and birth rate of hydrogen-line (DA) white dwarfs in the Galactic plane, based on the UVEX survey
Verbeek K, Groot PJ, Nelemans G, Scaringi S, Napiwotzki R, Drew JE, Steeghs D, Casares J, Corral-Santana JM, Gaensicke BT, Gonzalez-Solares E, Greimel R, Heber U, Irwin MJ, Knigge C, Wright NJ, Zijlstra AA (2013)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2013
Journal
Book Volume: 434
Pages Range: 2727-2741
Journal Issue: 4
Abstract
We present a determination of the average space density and birth rate of hydrogen-line (DA) white dwarfs within a radius of 1 kpc around the Sun, based on an observational sample of 360 candidate white dwarfs with g < 19.5 and (g - r) < 0.4, selected from the UV-Excess (UVEX) survey of the northern Galactic plane, in combination with a theoretical white dwarf population that has been constructed to simulate the observations, including the effects of reddening and observational selection effects. The main uncertainty in the derivation of the white dwarf space density and current birth rate lies in the absolute photometric calibration and the photometric scatter of the observational data, which influences the classification method on colours, the completeness and the pollution. Corrections for these effects are applied. We derive an average space density of DA white dwarfs with Teff > 10 000K (MV < 12.2) of (3.8 ± 1.1) × 10-4 pc-3, and an average DA white dwarf birth rate over the last 7×107 yr of (5.4 ± 1.5) × 10-13 pc-3 yr-1. Additionally, we show that many estimates of the white dwarf space density from different studies are consistent with each other, and with our determination here. © 2013 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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Involved external institutions
University of Warwick
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Hertfordshire
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Cambridge
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Manchester
United Kingdom (GB)
Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
Austria (AT)
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)
Spain (ES)
University of Southampton
United Kingdom (GB)
Radboud University Nijmegen
Netherlands (NL)
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Hertfordshire
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Cambridge
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Manchester
United Kingdom (GB)
Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
Austria (AT)
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)
Spain (ES)
University of Southampton
United Kingdom (GB)
Radboud University Nijmegen
Netherlands (NL)
How to cite
APA:
Verbeek, K., Groot, P.J., Nelemans, G., Scaringi, S., Napiwotzki, R., Drew, J.E.,... Zijlstra, A.A. (2013). A determination of the space density and birth rate of hydrogen-line (DA) white dwarfs in the Galactic plane, based on the UVEX survey. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 434(4), 2727-2741. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1005
MLA:
Verbeek, Kars, et al. "A determination of the space density and birth rate of hydrogen-line (DA) white dwarfs in the Galactic plane, based on the UVEX survey." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 434.4 (2013): 2727-2741.
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