POSTER PAPER 8.01
White Dwarf - M Dwarf Pairs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)
Sean N. Raymond, Paula Szkody, & Suzanne L. Hawley
Institute: University of Washington
Contact Email: raymond@astro.washington.edu
Abstract:
Using spectra and color cuts in the Sloan filter system, we have identified 83
White Dwarf - M dwarf pairs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The blue
portion of the spectrum is fit with white dwarf models as a function of
temperature. The best fit is then subtracted off to extract the M-dwarf
spectrum. Many of these objects show strong Ha emission, an indicator
of M-dwarf chromospheric activity. We have extracted a list of white dwarf
temperatures, M-dwarf spectral types, and Ha equivalent widths, and we
compare the activity level of these irradiated systems with the field M star
population. If a portion of this activity is due to irradiation from the
white dwarf companion, then we are studying binaries at a wide range in
separations, from loosely bound systems to close binary pre-CVs. This
hypothesis is being tested with a spectroscopic follow-up of SDSS objects
by looking for (orbital) periodicity in the systems with the highest activity
levels, using the ARC 3.5 m telescope at Apache Point Observatory (APO).
Index Keywords: White Dwarf / M Dwarf Pairs; Binaries
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Manuscript submitted: 2001-Sep-05
"The Future of Cool-Star Astrophysics", 2003, Eds. A. Brown,
G. M. Harper, & T. R. Ayres.
Proceedings of 12th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems,
& The Sun,
© 2003 University of Colorado.