Related papers: On the evolution of ultra-massive white dwarfs
Evolutionary models of massive stars are quasi-exclusively computed using an Eddington gray atmosphere. This approximation does not accurately describe the complex physical phenomena occurring in the atmosphere of massive stars. We aim to…
Masses are one of the most difficult stellar properties to measure. In the case of the white-dwarf companions of Barium stars, the situation is worse. These stars are dim, cool, and difficult to observe via direct methods. However, Ba stars…
We revisit the properties of white dwarfs accreting hydrogen-rich matter by constructing steady-state models, in which hydrogen shell burning consumes hydrogen at the same rate as the white dwarf accretes it. We obtain such steady-state…
Hot DQ white dwarfs constitute a new class of white dwarf stars, uncovered recently within the framework of the SDSS project. Recently, three hot DQ white dwarfs have been reported to exhibit photometric variability with periods compatible…
Element diffusion is a key physical process that substantially impacts the superficial abundances, internal structure, pulsation properties, and evolution of white dwarfs. We study the effect of Coulomb separation of ions in the cooling…
Over 1500 DBZ or DZ white dwarfs (WDs) have been observed so far, and polluted atmospheres with metal elements have been found among these WDs. The surface heavy element abundances of known DBZ or DZ WDs show an evolutionary sequence. By…
A detailed analysis of halo white dwarf candidates is presented, which is based on model atmosphere fits to observed energy distributions built from photoelectric or photographic magnitudes. Most of the candidates identified in reduced…
As the descendants of stars with masses less than 8 M$_{\odot}$ on the main sequence, white dwarfs provide a unique way to constrain planetary occurrence around intermediate-mass stars (spectral types BAF) that are otherwise difficult to…
We discuss the feasibility of using astrophysical observations of white dwarfs as probes of fundamental physics. We quantify the effects of varying fundamental couplings on the white dwarf mass-radius relation in a broad class of…
Carbon stars (with C/O> 1) were long assumed to all be giants, because only AGB stars dredge up significant carbon into their atmospheres. The case is nearly iron-clad now that the formerly mysterious dwarf carbon (dC) stars are actually…
White dwarf (WD) stars are considered cosmic laboratories to study the physics of dense plasma. Furthermore, the use of WD stars as cosmic clocks to date stellar populations and main sequence companions demands an appropriate understanding…
The concept of overshoot has already been considered for numerous cases in stellar evolution calculations. We explore the consequences of overshoot at the convection zone which forms during the He-flash (thermal pulse) in AGB stars. We find…
We carried out a spectroscopic investigation of single lined white dwarfs (WDs) in double degenerate (DD) systems and discuss their binary evolution. Simulated spectra of the Halpha region are used to derive upper limits on the temperature…
It is possible to reliably identify white dwarfs (WDs) without recourse to spectra, instead using photometric and astrometric measurements to distinguish them from Main Sequence stars and quasars. WDs' colours can also be used to infer…
White Dwarf luminosities are powerful age indicators, whose calibration should be based on reliable models. We discuss the uncertainty of some chemical and physical parameters and their influence on the age estimated by means of white dwarf…
We study the thermodynamics of helium at densities relevant for white dwarf physics. We find evidence that, as the temperature is increased, there is first a first order transition between two superconducting phases followed by a second…
The evolution of galaxies is driven by the birth and death of stars. AGB stars are at the end points of their evolution and therefore their luminosities directly reflect their birth mass; this enables us to reconstruct the star formation…
White dwarfs (WDs) offer unrealized potential in solving two problems in astrophysics: stellar age accuracy and precision. WD cooling ages can be inferred from surface temperatures and radii, which can be constrained with precision by high…
We present new evolution sequences for very low mass stars, brown dwarfs and giant planets and use them to explore a variety of influences on the evolution of these objects. We compare our results with previous work and discuss the causes…
White dwarfs carry information on the structure and evolution of the Galaxy, especially through their luminosity function and initial-to-final mass relation. Very cool white dwarfs provide insight into the early ages of each population.…