Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI)
White Dwarf Cooling Ages in Galactic Open Clusters:
 |
RSAA Home |
 | |
|
GSAOI Home |
| |
|
Instrument Description |
| |
|
Science |
| |
|
Picture Gallery |
| |
|
Documentation |
| |
|
Performance Calculator |
| |
|
Publications |
| |
|
Employment Opportunities |
| |
|
Contact Us |
| |
|
Internal |
| |
|
Other Links |
|
The goal of this project is to detect the termination of the white dwarf cooling sequence in nearby open star clusters, and hence derive cluster ages that are independent of the normal main sequence turnoff method. The cooling sequence ends at intrinsically faint magnitudes even for young clusters and contamination by stellar and extragalactic interlopers has always been a concern. The potential for accurate proper motion measurements, i.e., measurements of transverse motion across the sky, with GSAOI offers a means of overcoming this difficulty. Proper motion measurements will be especially useful for distinguishing white dwarfs from distant star-forming blue galaxies.
A large area must be imaged in order to ensure that the cluster white dwarf luminosity function is adequately sampled. |