3D-Kinematics of White Dwarfs from the SPY-Project

Abstract

We present kinematics of a sample of 398 DA white dwarfs from the SPY project (ESO SN Ia Progenitor surveY) and discuss kinematic criteria for a distinction of thin disk, thick disk, and halo populations. This is the largest homogeneous sample of white dwarfs for which 3D space motions have been determined. Radial velocities and spectroscopic distances obtained by the SPY project are combined with our measurements of proper motions to derive 3D space motions. Galactic orbits and further kinematic parameters are computed. Our kinematic criteria for assigning population membership are deduced from a sample of F and G stars taken from the literature for which chemical criteria can be used to distinguish between thin disk, thick disk and halo. Our kinematic population classification scheme is based on the position in the U-V-velocity diagram, the position in the J_z-eccentricity diagram and the Galactic orbit. We combine this with age estimates and find seven halo and 23 thick disk white dwarfs.