Hot DQs, magnetic and metal-polluted white dwarfs: spectroscopic insights from a Gaia machine-learning-selected 500 pc sample

Abstract

The latest Gaia data release provides low-resolution spectra for approximately 100 000 white dwarfs. Though useful for pre-classification, they lack the resolution required for accurate spectral type and parameter determination, motivating spectroscopic follow-up campaigns. In this work, we assess the reliability of machine-learning spectral classifications derived from Gaia spectra through comparison with medium-resolution spectroscopy, determine the nature of objects classified as "massive helium-rich (DB)" by automated methods, and characterise the properties of warm and hot DQ (carbon-dominated) white dwarfs, magnetic and metal-polluted objects. To do this, we observed 255 white dwarfs with the Gran Telescopio Canarias equipped with the OSIRIS instrument (R ~ 1000). Spectral types were assigned through visual inspection and compared with machine-learning classifications applied to Gaia spectra. Magnetic objects were identified via Zeeman splitting, and magnetic field strengths were estimated. We find machine-learning classifications are highly accurate (> 90% for spectral types in their training sets), despite the low resolution of Gaia spectra. We show "massive DBs" to be mostly magnetic white dwarfs and warm DQs, with only 5 of 112 observed (4.46%) confirmed as genuine DBs. Warm DQs are found along the Gaia Q branch and exhibit unusually high tangential speeds. We provide spectral classifications for 255 white dwarfs, demonstrate that Random Forest algorithms reliably classify low-resolution Gaia spectra into main spectral types, determine the nature of "massive DBs", and identify a large population of magnetic white dwarfs and carbon-rich objects. Several rare subtypes are identified, including 1 DAQ, 1 DQZA, 4 hot, 29 warm DQ stars, and 63 magnetic white dwarfs. The properties of warm DQs are consistent with previous studies, supporting their proposed origin as merger remnants.