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Title: CENSUS OF BLUE STARS IN SDSS DR8

Abstract

We present a census of the 12,060 spectra of blue objects ((g – r){sub 0} < –0.25) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8 (DR8). As part of the data release, all of the spectra were cross-correlated with 48 template spectra of stars, galaxies, and QSOs to determine the best match. We compared the blue spectra by eye to the templates assigned in SDSS DR8. 10,856 of the objects matched their assigned template, 170 could not be classified due to low signal-to-noise ratio, and 1034 were given new classifications. We identify 7458 DA white dwarfs, 1145 DB white dwarfs, 273 rarer white dwarfs (including carbon, DZ, DQ, and magnetic), 294 subdwarf O stars, 648 subdwarf B stars, 679 blue horizontal branch stars, 1026 blue stragglers, 13 cataclysmic variables, 129 white dwarf-M dwarf binaries, 36 objects with spectra similar to DO white dwarfs, 179, quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), and 10 galaxies. We provide two tables of these objects, sample spectra that match the templates, figures showing all of the spectra that were grouped by eye, and diagnostic plots that show the positions, colors, apparent magnitudes, proper motions, etc., for each classification. Future surveys will be able to use templatesmore » similar to stars in each of the classes we identify to automatically classify blue stars, including rare types.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ;  [2];  [3]
  1. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School, 88 Lake Hill Road, Ballston, NY 12027 (United States)
  2. Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180 (United States)
  3. Experimental Astrophysics Group, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22340133
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 215; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0067-0049
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; BLUE STELLAR OBJECTS; CARBON; CLASSIFICATION; GALAXIES; PROPER MOTION; SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO; SPECTRA; STATISTICS; WHITE DWARF STARS

Citation Formats

Scibelli, Samantha, Newberg, Heidi Jo, Carlin, Jeffrey L., and Yanny, Brian. CENSUS OF BLUE STARS IN SDSS DR8. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1088/0067-0049/215/2/24.
Scibelli, Samantha, Newberg, Heidi Jo, Carlin, Jeffrey L., & Yanny, Brian. CENSUS OF BLUE STARS IN SDSS DR8. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0067-0049/215/2/24
Scibelli, Samantha, Newberg, Heidi Jo, Carlin, Jeffrey L., and Yanny, Brian. 2015. "CENSUS OF BLUE STARS IN SDSS DR8". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0067-0049/215/2/24.
@article{osti_22340133,
title = {CENSUS OF BLUE STARS IN SDSS DR8},
author = {Scibelli, Samantha and Newberg, Heidi Jo and Carlin, Jeffrey L. and Yanny, Brian},
abstractNote = {We present a census of the 12,060 spectra of blue objects ((g – r){sub 0} < –0.25) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8 (DR8). As part of the data release, all of the spectra were cross-correlated with 48 template spectra of stars, galaxies, and QSOs to determine the best match. We compared the blue spectra by eye to the templates assigned in SDSS DR8. 10,856 of the objects matched their assigned template, 170 could not be classified due to low signal-to-noise ratio, and 1034 were given new classifications. We identify 7458 DA white dwarfs, 1145 DB white dwarfs, 273 rarer white dwarfs (including carbon, DZ, DQ, and magnetic), 294 subdwarf O stars, 648 subdwarf B stars, 679 blue horizontal branch stars, 1026 blue stragglers, 13 cataclysmic variables, 129 white dwarf-M dwarf binaries, 36 objects with spectra similar to DO white dwarfs, 179, quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), and 10 galaxies. We provide two tables of these objects, sample spectra that match the templates, figures showing all of the spectra that were grouped by eye, and diagnostic plots that show the positions, colors, apparent magnitudes, proper motions, etc., for each classification. Future surveys will be able to use templates similar to stars in each of the classes we identify to automatically classify blue stars, including rare types.},
doi = {10.1088/0067-0049/215/2/24},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22340133}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series},
issn = {0067-0049},
number = 2,
volume = 215,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}

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