Probing the stellar initial-final mass relation

Thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy, Macquarie University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 2011.Includes bibliographical references.1. Introduction -- 2. Data -- 3. Results -- 4. Moving forward -- A. Appendix.I have tested our current understanding of the form of the stellar initial-final mass relation (IFMR) by performing a preliminary study of twelve (12) wide double-degenerate binaries. I identified these systems by applying colour and magnitude selection criteria, in software, to identify blue object close pairs in the imaging data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). A selection of these were then targeted for spectroscopic follow-up while performing astrometric analysis to determine if the components in each had significant, common proper motions. Subsequently, I used existing grids of white dwarf synthetic spectra and evolutionary models to interpret the spectroscopic data.The white dwarf parameters of mass, Mf , and cooling time, tcool, were then used to probe the form of the IFMR. Using the white dwarfs in my sample whose derived parameters confirmed they were coeval and physically associated, I have also constructed a preliminary mass distribution for the components of these binary systems.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xx, 220 pages) illustration