The age-metallicity relation in the solar neighbourhood from a pilot sample of white dwarf-main sequence binaries
The age–metallicity relation (AMR) is a fundamental observational constraint for understanding how the Galactic disc formed and evolved chemically in time. However, there is not yet an agreement on the observational properties of the AMR for the solar neighbourhood, primarily due to the difficulty i...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2016 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/103078 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/103078 https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw2021 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | White dwarf stars Stars--Populations Low mass stars stars: abundances binaries: spectroscopic stars: low-mass white dwarfs solar neighbourhood Estels nans Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Física::Astronomia i astrofísica |
| Sumario: | The age–metallicity relation (AMR) is a fundamental observational constraint for understanding how the Galactic disc formed and evolved chemically in time. However, there is not yet an agreement on the observational properties of the AMR for the solar neighbourhood, primarily due to the difficulty in obtaining accurate stellar ages for individual field stars. We have started an observational campaign for providing the much needed observational input by using wide white-dwarf–main-sequence (WDMS) binaries. White dwarfs are ‘natural’ clocks and can be used to derive accurate ages. Metallicities can be obtained from the main-sequence companions. Since the progenitors of white dwarfs and the main-sequence stars were born at the same time, WDMS binaries provide a unique opportunity to observationally constrain in a robust way the properties of the AMR. In this work we present the AMR derived from analysing a pilot sample of 23 WDMS binaries and provide clear observational evidence for the lack of correlation between age and metallicity at young and intermediate ages (0–7 Gyr). |
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