On the Frequency of Helium-rich Degenrates in Wide Binaries
Abstract
The kinematics and spectroscopic properties of the proper motion-selected sample of spectroscopically confirmed white dwarfs which are members of wide binaries are investigated. Kinematically, both samples are dominated by young disk and old disk motions. There exists a possible paucity of halo members, but little difference exists between the composition subgroups except for a possible slight increase in hydrogen-dominated (DA) degenerates at lower tangential velocity. The kinematics of these systems shows little if any difference from that of single degenerates. However, considerable evidence is found that the frequency of helium-dominated degenerates among the wide binaries may be higher than that found among the single white dwarfs in the proper motion sample.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 1988
- DOI:
- 10.1086/166086
- Bibcode:
- 1988ApJ...326..249S
- Keywords:
-
- Binary Stars;
- Helium;
- White Dwarf Stars;
- Main Sequence Stars;
- Stellar Evolution;
- Stellar Mass Ejection;
- Astrophysics;
- STARS: BINARIES;
- STARS: WHITE DWARFS