A Multi-Survey Approach to White Dwarf Discovery
Abstract
By selecting astrometric and photometric data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the Lepine & Shara Proper Motion North Catalog (LSPM-North), the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), and the USNO-B1.0 catalog, we use a succession of methods to isolate white dwarf (WD) candidates for follow-up spectroscopy. Our methods include reduced proper motion diagram cuts, color cuts, and atmospheric model adherence. We present spectroscopy of 26WDs obtained from the CTIO 4 m and APO 3.5 m telescopes. Additionally, we confirm 28WDs with spectra available in the SDSS DR7 database but unpublished elsewhere, presenting a total of 54 WDs. We label one of these as a recovered WD while the remaining 53 are new discoveries. We determine physical parameters and estimate distances based on atmospheric model analyses. Three new WDs are modeled to lie within 25 pc. Two additional WDs are confirmed to be metal-polluted (DAZ). Follow-up time series photometry confirms another object to be a pulsating ZZ Ceti WD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA567617
Entities
People
- Benjamin M. Tofflemire
- Conor Sayres
- James R. Davenport
- John P. Subasavage
- P. Bergeron
- P. Dufour
- Yusra Alsayyad
Organizations
- United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station