  An optical spectrum of the Elson et al. (1998) candidate luminous white dwarf
in the young LMC cluster NGC1818 shows conclusively that it is not a degenerate
star. A model atmosphere fit gives T=31,500K and log g=4.4, typical of a
garden-variety main sequence B star. However, if it is a true LMC member then
the star is under-luminous by almost three magnitudes. Its position in the
cluster colour-magnitude diagram also rules out the possibility that this is an
ordinary B star. The luminosity is, however, consistent with a ~0.5 solar mass
post-AGB or post-EHB object, although if it has evolved via single star
evolution from a high mass (7.6-9.0 solar masses) progenitor then we might
expect it to have a much higher mass, $\sim0.9\Msun$. Alternatively, it has
evolved in a close binary. In this case the object offers no implications for
the maximum mass for white dwarf progenitors, or the initial-final mass
relation. Finally, we suggest that it could in fact be an evolved member of the
LMC disk, and merely projected by chance onto NGC1818. Spectroscopically,
though, we cannot distinguish between these evolutionary states without higher
resolution (echelle) data.

Astrophysics