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