研究白矮星初始-最终质量关系中的观测前身星质量间隙。I. 星团普查与间隙中首批白矮星的特征描述
Investigating the Observational Progenitor Mass Gap in the White Dwarf Initial-Final Mass Relation. I. Cluster Census and Characterization of the First White Dwarfs in the Gap
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中文总结 AI 辅助
研究利用盖亚数据扩展白矮星初始-最终质量关系，发现约2至2.7太阳质量的观测间隙。通过星团普查和目标测光寻找候选体，光谱观测确认两个目标在此间隙内，为IFMR非单调趋势提供支持。
中文摘要 AI 辅助
近年来，盖亚推动了开放星团中白矮星初始-最终质量关系（IFMR）的扩展。样本量增加凸显了在约2至2.7太阳质量的前身星质量处存在明显观测间隙，此范围内无光谱确认的星团成员白矮星。对银河系开放星团普查分析表明，这种缺失主要是因缺乏能容纳可被盖亚探测到的白矮星的合适年龄、附近星团，意味着需要更深的目标测光来在此前身星质量范围构建大量样本。我们在与间隙前身星年龄相符的星团中搜索未检测的盖亚白矮星候选体，识别出两个可行目标并用双子座GMOS-N进行光谱观测。两个目标的推断前身星质量都在观测间隙内，使它们成为此前身星质量范围首批光谱确认的星团成员白矮星。特别是NGC 6991候选体被确认为DA白矮星，推断前身星质量为2.12（+0.04，-0.15）太阳质量，为IFMR中的非单调趋势提供了进一步支持。
英文摘要
In recent years, Gaia has been the primary driver of the expansion of the white dwarf (WD) initial-final mass relation (IFMR) in open clusters. The increased sample size has highlighted a pronounced observational gap at progenitor masses of $\simeq2$--$2.7\,M_\odot$, with no spectroscopically confirmed cluster-member WDs in this range. Analysis of the Milky Way open cluster census shows that this absence is primarily driven by the scarcity of appropriately aged, nearby clusters capable of hosting Gaia-detectable WDs, implying that deeper, targeted photometry will be required to build a substantial sample in this progenitor mass range. We further searched for previously unexamined Gaia WD candidates in clusters with ages consistent with producing gap progenitors and identified two viable targets, which we observed spectroscopically with Gemini GMOS-N. Both targets yield inferred progenitor masses within the observational gap, making them the first spectroscopically confirmed cluster-member WDs in this progenitor mass range. The NGC 6991 candidate, in particular, is confirmed as a DA WD with an inferred progenitor mass of $2.12^{+0.04}_{-0.15}\,M_\odot$, providing further support for a non-monotonic trend in the IFMR.
