I am interested in the study of white dwarf stars and, in particular, the calculation of model atmospheres. White dwarf stars represent the final evolutionary stage of more than 97% of stars in our galaxy, including our Sun. Having exhausted the nuclear power sources in their centre, white dwarfs cool slowly over several billion years. They have a mass comparable to that of the Sun but in a volume equal to that of the Earth, thus making them extremely compact objects whose density is a million times that of the Sun. The study of these stellar remnants and the determination of their fundamental parameters such as surface temperature, mass and chemical composition tell us not only about the nature of these stars, but also about the evolutionary link with the stars that produced them. The most accurate method for measuring the basic parameters of white dwarf stars is to compare in detail the spectroscopic data, i.e. the flux distribution as a function of wavelength, with theoretical predictions obtained from model atmospheres we have been constantly refining here at the Université de Montréal. The stellar atmosphere corresponds to the thin surface layer where the stellar radiation originates. I am also interested in the study of pulsating white dwarfs, called ZZ Ceti stars, and in particular the determination of the empirical boundaries of their instability strips. All of these theoretical projects rely on photometric and spectroscopic data obtained at different observatories at Kitt Peak in Arizona (2.3 m Steward, 2.1 m and 4 m Kitt Peak) and the Mont Mégantic Observatory.

My research is oriented mainly toward the study of white dwarf atmospheres, from both the theoretical (detailed model atmosphere calculations) and observational (spectroscopic and photometric observations) viewpoints. White dwarfs are the remnants of low-mass stars that have used up their reserves of nuclear fuel. A typical white dwarf consists of a nucleus of carbon and oxygen representing over 99% of its mass, surrounded by a thin layer of helium that is itself surrounded, in about 80% of cases, by another thin layer of hydrogen. These layers, although thin, are optically opaque and regulate the rate at which the star loses energy (i.e. its cooling rate). To properly understand the evolution of white dwarfs, it is essential to understand the physical properties of these surface layers. The spectroscopic analysis of light from white dwarfs' atmospheres is the main technique used to gather information on the external parts of white dwarfs. My work is focussed on analyzing stars with traces of heavy elements (DZ and DQ spectral types) and stars with a carbon atmosphere.

René Racine is a Québécois Canadian professor and astronomer who specializes in the study of globular clusters.He has also achieved international renown for his work with galaxies, astronomical instruments and adaptive optics.