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Paper: |
A Second Stellar Color Locus: a Bridge from White Dwarfs to M stars |
Volume: |
318, Spectroscopically and Spatially Resolving the Components of Close Binary Stars |
Page: |
396 |
Authors: |
Smolcic, V.; Ivezic, Z.; Knapp, G.R.; Lupton, R.H.; Pavlovski, K.; Ilijic, S.; Schlegel, D.; Smith, J.A.; McGehee, P.M.; Silvestri, N.M.; Hawley, S.L.; Rockosi, C.; Gunn, J.E.; Strauss, M.A. |
Abstract: |
We report the discovery of a locus of stars in the SDSS g – r vs. u – g color-color diagram that connects the colors of white dwarfs and M dwarfs. While its contrast with respect to the main stellar locus is only ∼1:2300, this previously unrecognized feature includes 863 stars from SDSS Data Release 1. The position and shape of the feature is in good agreement with predictions of a simple binary star model that consists of a white dwarf and an M dwarf, with the components' luminosity ratio controlling the position along this binary system locus. SDSS DR1 spectra for 47 of these objects strongly support this model. |
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