The Extent and Cause of the Pre-White Dwarf Instability Strip M. S. O’Brien1 Received ; accepted arXiv:astro-ph/9910495v1 27 Oct 1999 1Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218;
[email protected]. –2– ABSTRACT One of the least understood aspects of white dwarf evolution is the process by which they are formed. The initial stages of white dwarf evolution are characterized by high luminosity, high effective temperature, and high surface gravity, making it difficult to constrain their properties through traditional spectroscopic observations. We are aided, however, by the fact that many H- and He-deficient pre-white dwarfs (PWDs) are multiperiodic g-mode pulsators. These stars fall into two classes, the variable planetary nebula nuclei (PNNV) and the “naked” GW Vir stars. Pulsations in PWDs provide a unique opportunity to probe their interiors, which are otherwise inaccesible to direct observation. Until now, however, the nature of the pulsation mechanism, the precise boundaries of the instability strip, and the mass distribution of the PWDs were complete mysteries. These problems must be addressed before we can apply knowledge of pulsating PWDs to improve understanding of white dwarf formation. This paper lays the groundwork for future theoretical investigations of these stars. In recent years, Whole Earth Telescope observations led to determination of mass and luminosity for the majority of the GW Vir pulsators. With these observations, we identify the common properties and trends PWDs exhibit as a class. We find that pulsators of low mass have higher luminosity, suggesting the range of instability is highly mass-dependent.