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| Paper: |
Inverting the White Dwarf Luminosity Function: The Star Formation History of the Solar Neighborhood |
| Volume: |
469, 18th European White Dwarf Workshop (EUROWD12) |
| Page: |
89 |
| Authors: |
Rowell, N. |
| Abstract: |
I present an algorithm for inverting the luminosity function for white dwarfs to obtain a maximum likelihood estimate
of the star formation rate of the host stellar population. The algorithm is of the general class of Expectation
Maximization, and involves iteratively improving an initial guess of the star formation rate.
Tests show that the inversion results are quite sensitive to the assumed metallicity and initial mass function, but relatively
insensitive to the initial-final mass relation and ratio of H/He atmosphere white dwarfs.
Application to two independent determinations of the Solar neighborhood white dwarf luminosity function
gives similar results: the star formation rate is characterised by an early burst, and more recent peak at 2–3 Gyr
in the past. |
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