Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-qsmjn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T05:28:06.605Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

White dwarf cosmochronology: Techniques and uncertainties

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2008

Maurizio Salaris
Maurizio Salaris*
Affiliation:
Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, 12 Quays House, Birkenhead, CH41, 1LD, UK email: ms@astro.livjm.ac.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

White dwarfs represent the endpoint of the evolution of the large majority of stars formed in the Galaxy. In the last two decades observations and theory have improved to a level that makes possible to employ white dwarfs for determining ages of the stellar populations in the solar neighborhood, and in the nearest star clusters. This review is centered on the theory behind the methods for white dwarf age-dating, and the related uncertainties, with particular attention paid to the problem of the CO stratification, envelope thickness and chemical composition, and the white dwarf initial-final-mass relationship.

Keywords

convectiondense matterstars: atmospheresstars: interiorswhite dwarfs
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 4 , Symposium S258: The Ages of Stars , October 2008 , pp. 287 - 298
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2009

References

Bedin, L. R., King, I. R., Anderson, J., Piotto, G., Salaris, M., Cassisi, S., & Serenelli, A. 2008, ApJ, 678, 1279CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bedin, L. R., Salaris, M., Piotto, G., Cassisi, S., Milone, A. P., Anderson, J., & King, I. R. 2008, ApJ, 679, L29CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castanheira, B. G. & Kepler, S. O. 2008, MNRAS, 385, 430CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cassisi, S., Salaris, M., & Irwin, A. W. 2003, ApJ, 588, 862CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Catalán, S., Isern, J., García-Berro, E., Ribas, I., Allende Prieto, C., & Bonanos, A. Z. 2008a, A&A, 477, 213Google Scholar
Catalán, S., Isern, J., García-Berro, E., & Ribas, I. 2008b, MNRAS, 387, 1693CrossRefGoogle Scholar
D'Antona, F. & Mazzitelli, I. 1987, in The Second Conference on Faint Blue Stars, Hayes, D.S. and Liebert, J.W. (eds.), L. Davis Press, p. 635Google Scholar
Deloye, C. J. & Bildsten, L. 2002, ApJ, 580, 1077CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fontaine, G., Brassard, P., & Bergeron, P. 2001, PASP, 113, 409CrossRefGoogle Scholar
García-Berro, E., Althaus, L. G., Córsico, A. H., & Isern, J. 2008, A&A, 677, 473Google Scholar
Hansen, B. M. S. & Liebert, J. 2003, ARA&A, 41, 465Google Scholar
Hansen, B. M. S. et al. , 2007, ApJ, 671, 380CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kunz, R. et al. , 2002, ApJ, 567, 643CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Isern, J., Mochkovitch, R., García-Berro, E., & Hernanz, M. 1997, ApJ, 485, 308CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Isern, J., García-Berro, E., Hernanz, M., & Chabrier, G. 2000, ApJ, 528, 397CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Isern, J., García-Berro, E., Hernanz, M., & Salaris, M 2002, Contributions to Science, 2, 237Google Scholar
Leggett, S. K., Ruiz, M. T., & Bergeron, P. 1998, ApJ, 497, 294CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pietrinferni, A., Cassisi, S., Salaris, M., & Castelli, F. 2004, ApJ, 612, 168CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salaris, M., Dominguez, I., García-Berro, E., Hernanz, M., Isern, J., & Mochkovitch, R. 1997, ApJ, 486, 413CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salaris, M., García-Berro, E., Hernanz, M., Isern, J., & Saumon, D.ApJ, 544, 1036CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salaris, M., Serenelli, A., Weiss, A., & MillerBertolami, M. Bertolami, M. 2009 ApJ, in pressGoogle Scholar
Segretain, L. 1996, A&A, 310, 485Google Scholar
Straniero, O., Dominguez, I., Imbriani, G., & Piersanti, L. 2003, ApJ, 583, 878CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tremblay, P.-E. & Bergeron, P 2008, ApJ, 672, 1144CrossRefGoogle Scholar