Constraining white dwarf kicks in globular clusters - II. Observational significance

Abstract

If the winds of an asymptotic giant branch star are sufficiently strong and slightly asymmetric, they can alter the star's trajectory through a globular cluster; therefore, if these winds are asymmetric, one would expect young white dwarfs to be less radially concentrated than either their progenitors or older white dwarfs in globular clusters. This latter effect has recently been observed. Additionally, the young white dwarfs should have larger typical velocities than their progenitors. After phase mixing, this latter effect is vastly diminished relative to the changes in the spatial distribution of young white dwarfs with kicks, so it is more difficult to detect than the change in the spatial distribution. The most powerful kinematic signature is the change in the eccentricity of the orbits that is revealed through the distribution of the position angles of proper motion.