Measuring the Fundamental Parameters of Hot Hydrogen-Rich White Dwarfs

Abstract

This review considers the observations of hot, hydrogen-rich white dwarf stars, with particular reference to measurements of temperature, surface gravity and composition. Spectroscopic data from a variety of wavelength ranges are required for this work and, in particular, the important contributions from optical, ultraviolet and extreme ultraviolet studies are discussed. Using the values of T_eff and log g determined for an individual white dwarf, estimates of mass and radius might be derived from the theoretical mass-radius relation. The issue of the accuracy of the theoretical mass-radius calculations and the prospects for making empirical tests using observational data are outlined.