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White Dwarfs, Planets, and Disks


Mukremin Kilic


Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory



Compared to solar-type stars, the significant gain in contrast make white dwarfs excellent targets for direct imaging searches for planetary companions. However, no such companion has been detected so far. I will discuss a new approach for finding planets around white dwarfs, and present the first results from our Spitzer search for planets around both low mass and high mass white dwarfs. In addition, I will present an overview of recent discoveries of half a dozen short period white dwarf binaries that will merge within a few hundred million years. I will discuss the merger rate for these systems and the implications for Type Ia supernovae rates and other merger products.

Date: Jeudi, le 1 avril 2010
Heure: 11:30
Lieu: Université de Montréal
  Pavillon Roger-Gaudry, Local D-460
Contact: Pierre Bergeron
 

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