Using Stellar Kinematics to Determine the Stellar Population of White Dwarfs in the Milky Way Galaxy
Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
individual
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Allyson Woodruff, Senior
Lead Presenter's Name
Allyson Woodruff
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. von Hippel
Abstract
Within the Milky Way Galaxy there are three different stellar populations that stars can reside in: thick disk, thin disk, and halo. For this research, white dwarfs in the local neighborhood were chosen from the second Gaia data release. Using the white dwarf’s proper motion, parallax, and radial velocity, I calculated their three-dimensional velocities (U, V, W). Working with the star’s three-dimensional velocities, I have created plots of velocity density distribution, expected gaussian distributions for each population, and determined which white dwarfs are most likely in the thick disk based on their U, V, and W velocities. From these analyses, I was able to create a list of 698 white dwarfs that are most likely thick disk stars. Since white dwarf stars are considered the final evolutionary state, they can be good approximators for the age of the thick disk. These white dwarfs will be used in hierarchical analysis to estimate the age of the thick disk of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Using Stellar Kinematics to Determine the Stellar Population of White Dwarfs in the Milky Way Galaxy
Within the Milky Way Galaxy there are three different stellar populations that stars can reside in: thick disk, thin disk, and halo. For this research, white dwarfs in the local neighborhood were chosen from the second Gaia data release. Using the white dwarf’s proper motion, parallax, and radial velocity, I calculated their three-dimensional velocities (U, V, W). Working with the star’s three-dimensional velocities, I have created plots of velocity density distribution, expected gaussian distributions for each population, and determined which white dwarfs are most likely in the thick disk based on their U, V, and W velocities. From these analyses, I was able to create a list of 698 white dwarfs that are most likely thick disk stars. Since white dwarf stars are considered the final evolutionary state, they can be good approximators for the age of the thick disk. These white dwarfs will be used in hierarchical analysis to estimate the age of the thick disk of the Milky Way Galaxy.