High resolution optical spectroscopy of Praesepe white dwarfs
  We present the results of a high resolution optical spectroscopic study of
nine white dwarf candidate members of Praesepe undertaken with the VLT and
UVES. We find, contrary to a number of previous studies, that WD0836+201
(LB390, EG59) and WD0837+199 (LB393, EG61) are magnetic and non-magnetic white
dwarfs respectively. Subsequently, we determine the radial velocities for the
eight non-magnetic degenerates and provide compelling evidence that WD0837+185
is a radial velocity variable and possibly a double-degenerate system. We also
find that our result for WD0837+218, in conjunction with its projected spatial
location and position in initial mass-final mass space, argues it is more
likely to be a field star than a cluster member. After eliminating these two
white dwarfs, and WD0836+199 which has no clean SDSS photometry, we use the
remaining 5 stars to substantiate modern theoretical mass-radius relations for
white dwarfs. In light of our new results we re-examine the white dwarf members
of Praesepe and use them to further constrain the initial mass-final mass
relation. We find a a near monotonic IFMR, which can still be adequately
represented by simple linear function with only one outlier which may have
formed from a blue straggler star.
