| Abstract : | M67(NGC 2682) is a 4 billion years old open cluster in the southern, equatorial half of Cancer, located at ~830 pc. We have constructed spectral energy distributions(SEDs) of around 140 stars using multi-wavelength data ranging from UV to IR wavelengths. We aim to detect the optically faint white dwarf (WD) companions to the members of M67 with the help of UV images from AstroSat, India’s first space observatory. Along with the photometric data from AstroSat/UVIT, we also used Swift/UVOT, GALEX, Gaia DR3, 2MASS, WISE, and other archival data. Our analysis has identified 11 binary systems among the main-sequence stars with WD companions (MS+WD binaries), of which 5 are new candidates. Combining the available information on their binary periods, we find that these are close binary systems with peculiar Low Mass(LM) and Extremely Low Mass(ELM) WD systems, suggesting that the MS star acquired mass from the WD. The multi-wavelength SEDs of stars, including ultraviolet observations, have proven to be an excellent tool for discovering unresolved hot companions in stars formed through mass-transfer, thereby providing helpful clues to constrain their formation mechanisms. This study ultimately demonstrates that there exists an extensive variety in the demographics of binary products, and UV observations are vital for their detection and characterization. |
