White Dwarfs and Dark Matter

Abstract

Oppenheimer et al. (2001) have argued recently that at least 2% of the Galactic halo is comprised of white dwarfs If true, this finding has crucial implications for understanding the formation and evolution of the Milky Way. We draw attention to three potential shortcomings in the Oppenheimer et al. analysis which lead us to conclude that the density of white dwarfs with halo kinematics may have been significantly overestimated.

Accepted for publication as a Technical Comment in Science, in response to Oppenheimer et al. (2001, Science, 292, 698)