Description
We measure apparent velocities (v_app_) of the H{alpha} and H{beta} Balmer line cores for 449 non-binary thin disk normal DA white dwarfs (WDs) using optical spectra taken for the European Southern Observatory SN Ia progenitor survey (SPY). Assuming these WDs are nearby and comoving, we correct our velocities to the local standard of rest so that the remaining stellar motions are random. By averaging over the sample, we are left with the mean gravitational redshift, <v_g_>: we find <v_g_>=<v_app_>=32.57+/-1.17km/s. Using the mass-radius relation from evolutionary models, this translates to a mean mass of 0.647^+0.013^_-0.014_M_{sun}_. We interpret this as the mean mass for all DAs.
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