A Comprehensive Spectroscopic Analysis of DB White Dwarfs

Understand

We present a detailed analysis of 108 helium-line (DB) white dwarfs based on model atmosphere fits to high signal-to-noise optical spectroscopy.

• We derive a mean mass of 0.67 Mo for our sample, with a dispersion of only 0.09 Mo.
• White dwarfs also showing hydrogen lines, the DBA stars, comprise 44% of our sample, and their mass distribution appears similar to that of DB stars.
• As in our previous investigation, we find no evidence for the existence of low-mass (M < 0.5 Mo) DB white dwarfs.