A catalogue of isolated massive white dwarfs. Mass distribution of massive star
Abstract
We present in this paper a catalogue of 112 massive isolated white dwarfs, with masses M > 0.8 M⊙. Mass determinations and other parameters of white dwarfs were compiled from the available literature. For each star we present averaged values of mass, effective temperature, logarithm of surface gravity log g, radius, distance, and the surface magnetic field for magnetic white dwarfs. The mass distribution of our sample is a slowly decreasing continuum function for masses larger than 0.9 M⊙, with an overlapping secondary maximum at 1.04 M⊙. We conclude that the mass distribution of known massive magnetic white dwarfs is flat, whereas nonmagnetic WDs exhibit a steeper mass distribution towards the highest masses. The secondary maximum at 1.04 M⊙ is caused exclusively by nonmagnetic white dwarfs. We note that the 4 most massive stars with masses M ≥1.3 M⊙ are magnetic white dwarfs. Our results show also, that the occurrence of magnetism in massive white dwarfs does not depend on the cooling age (above Teff =5000 K).
The full Table \ref{t1} is only available in electronic at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/420/507}- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- June 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1051/0004-6361:20040123
- Bibcode:
- 2004A&A...420..507N
- Keywords:
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- catalogs;
- stars: white dwarfs