Spectroscopy of White Dwarfs in the Old Open Cluster M67

Author(s)/Creator(s)

Kurtis A. Williams
M. Bolte
J. Liebert
S. Howell

Publication Title

American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts

Document Type

Article

Abstract/Description

The open cluster M67 is heavily studied because its age ( 4 Gyr, implying M_MSTO 1.3 solar masses) and solar metallicity make it an ideal laboratory for studying the evolution of solar-type stars. We have obtained high signal-to-noise spectroscopy of candidate white dwarfs in M67 with the goal of determining the initial-final mass relation for the white dwarf remnants of solar-metallicity stars near 1 solar mass. To that end, we have obtained spectroscopy of 21 candidate white dwarfs in M67. Of these candidates, 15 are shown to be bona-fide white dwarfs: 11 have DA spectral types, 3 have DB spectral types, and 1 is an AM Her (polar) cataclysmic variable. We determine effective temperatures and masses for each DA white dwarf, and thereby derive the mass of each DA's progenitor star. The spectroscopy of the CV, EU Cnc, is the first phase-resolved spectroscopy for the only known polar in an open star cluster.KAW is grateful for the financial support of National Science Foundation Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship grant AST-0602288.

Department

Physics and Astronomy

Volume

211

Date

12-1-2007

Citation Information

Williams, Kurtis A.; Bolte, M.; Liebert, J.; and Howell, S., "Spectroscopy of White Dwarfs in the Old Open Cluster M67" (2007). Faculty Publications. 150.
https://digitalcommons.tamuc.edu/cose-faculty-publications/150