The Distribution of the Absolute Magnitudes among a and B Stars Brighter than the Sixth Apparent Magnitude as Determined from Parallactic Motions

1931 ◽  
Vol 74 ◽  
pp. 342
Author(s):  
Gustaf Strö Mberg
1989 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 121-140
Author(s):  
Allan Sandage

AbstractIt is shown that the intrinsic spread in the absolute magnitudes of the RR Lyrae variables in a given globular cluster can reach 0.5 magnitudes at a given period or at a given color, due to luminosity evolution away from the zero age horizontal (ZAHB). The size of this intrinsic luminosity spread is largest in clusters of the highest metallicity.The absolute magnitude of the ZAHB itself also differs from cluster to cluster as a function of metallicity, being brightest in clusters of the lowest metallicity. Three independent methods of calibrating the ZAHB RR Lyrae luminosities each show a strong variation of MV(RR) with [Fe/H]. The pulsation equation of P<ρ>0.5 = Q(M,Te, L) used with the observed periods, temperatures, and masses of field and of cluster RR Lyraes gives the very steep luminosity-metallicity dependence of dMv(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.42. Main sequence fitting of the color-magnitude diagrams of clusters which have modern main-sequence photometry gives a confirming steep slope of 0.39. A summary of Baade-Wesselink MV(RR) values for field stars determined in four independent recent studies also shows a luminosity-metallicity dependence, but less steep with a slope of dMV(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.21.Observations show that the magnitude difference between the main sequence turn-off point and the ZAHB in a number of well observed globular clusters is independent of [Fe/H], and has a stable value of dV = 3.54 with a disperion of only 0.1 magnitudes. Using this fact, the absolute magnitude of the main sequence turn-off is determined in any given globular cluster from the observed apparent magnitude of the ZAHB by adopting any particular MV(RR) = f([Fe/H]) calibration.Ages of the clusters are shown to vary with [Fe/H] by amounts that depend upon the slopes of the MV(RR) = f([Fe/H]) calibrations. The calibrations show that there would be a steep dependence of the age on [Fe/H] if MV(RR) does not depend on [Fe/H]. No dependence of age on metallicity exists if the RR Lyrae luminosities depend on [Fe/H] as dMV(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.37. If Oxygen is not enhanced as [Fe/H] decreases, the absolute average age of the globular cluster system is 16 Gyr, independent of [Fe/H], using the steep MV(RR)/[Fe/H] calibration that is favored. If Oxygen is enhanced by [O/Fe] = – 0.14 [Fe/H] + 0.40 for [Fe/H] < –1.0, as suggested from the observations of field subdwarfs, then the age of the globular cluster system decreases to 13 Gyr, again independent of [Fe/H], if the RR Lyrae ZAHB luminosities have a metallicity dependence of dMV(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.37.


2004 ◽  
Vol 193 ◽  
pp. 525-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.H. McNamara ◽  
M.B. Rose ◽  
P.J. Brown ◽  
D.I. Ketcheson ◽  
J.E. Maxwell ◽  
...  

AbstractWe have utilized the latest stellar models of the Y2 (Yonsei-Yale) collaborators and color-magnitude diagrams of globular clusters to infer ages and absolute magnitudes of their horizontal branches (HB). The intrinsic (B – V) color indices of the turn-offs, of the globular clusters were used to find ages. For 47 clusters that appear to be coeval (within ±0.7 Gyr), we find an average age of 12.5 Gyr. We adopt this age and infer the absolute magnitudes of the turn-offs, from the clusters [Fe/H] values. The absolute magnitude of the horizontal branches or RR Lyrae stars are then determined from the difference between the apparent magnitudes of the horizontal branches (or RR Lyrae stars) and the apparent magnitude of the turn-offs, VTO. We conclude: 1) The slope of the MV(HB), [Fe/H] relation is ~0.3 for clusters with [Fe/H] values between —0.5 to —1.5. The relation has zero slope for [Fe/H] values smaller than −1.5. 2) For [Fe/H] < -1.3, the MV(HB) or MV values of RRLyrae stars are not only a function of [Fe/H], but the horizontal-branch type in the sense that the clusters with the blue horizontal branches have more luminous horizontal branches than clusters with red horizontal branches. The same results are found by inferring the luminosities of the HBs from pulsating blue stragglers.


1985 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
pp. 199-200
Author(s):  
Edward G. Schmidt

The distances of clusters containing classical Cepheids are central to the calibration of the period-luminosity relation. As a step in improving the reliability of the calibration, uvbys photometry was obtained for B stars in eight of these clusters. These data were then used to determine the distances of the clusters and, thus, the absolute magnitudes of the Cepheids and the zero point of the PLC relation (See Schmidt 1984 for details).


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S289) ◽  
pp. 74-81
Author(s):  
Heidi Jo Newberg

AbstractIn determining the distances to stars within the Milky Way galaxy, one often uses photometric or spectroscopic parallaxes. In these methods, the type of each individual star is determined, and the absolute magnitude of that star type is compared with the measured apparent magnitude to determine individual distances. In this paper, we define the term statistical photometric parallax, in which statistical knowledge of the absolute magnitudes of stellar populations is used to determine the underlying density distributions of those stars. This technique has been used to determine the density distribution of the Milky Way's stellar halo and its component tidal streams, using very large samples of stars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Most recently, the volunteer computing platform MilkyWay@home has been used to find the best-fitting model parameters for the density of these halo stars.


1981 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 389-395
Author(s):  
D.H. McNamara ◽  
Kent A. Feltz

Photometry (uvbyβ) of five cepheids with B-type companions has been utilized to derive the spectral types and apparent magnitudes of the companions. By utilizing the period-luminosity relation it is possible to estimate the absolute magnitudes of the companions since the differences in magnitude between the companions and cepheids are known. The spectral types and absolute magnitudes of the B-type components indicate they are all evolved from the zero-age main sequence. By utilizing the ages of the B stars we can derive the ages of the cepheids under the assumptions that both stars of a binary were formed at the same time and the cepheids are more evolved than their B components. A period-age relation of the form log tage = 8.60 - 0.83 log P is found. Minimum masses of the cepheids can also be estimated from the data. No evidence of large mass loss is evident in the intermediate-band photometry of cepheids.


1964 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 57-61
Author(s):  
R. M. Petrie

Radial velocities of 570 B stars, mostly fainter than apparent magnitude 7 · 5 of spectral types between O8 and B5, have recently been determined at Victoria (Petrie and Pearce 1962). Spectroscopic absolute magnitudes based upon the measured strength of Hγ absorption have been determined for these stars. In addition to this totally new material, spectroscopic absolute magnitudes have been measured for an additional 180 stars. From the two lists 490 stars are available for a study of their distributions and radial velocities, since for this number magnitudes and colours have been measured with sufficient precision to allow reliable estimates of the interstellar extinction and the true distance moduli. The results given here are preliminary in the sense that approximately 200 additional stars will be added to the study when the program to determine photoelectric magnitudes and colours is completed. The radial velocities and absolute magnitudes of all the stars have already been measured.


1976 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 75-78
Author(s):  
M. Grenon

The Geneva photometric system has been calibrated in terms of [M/H], θeff, Mv in the spectral range F5 to K4. As the spectral type is a datum generally available, we derive empirical relations showing the coupling of θeff and [M/H] at given spectral type and luminosity class. Similar relations are offered for the absolute magnitudes and provide a more accurate means for deriving spectroscopic parallaxes. Systematic effects on the estimation of the luminosity class are also shown.


1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 566-566
Author(s):  
C. Jaschek ◽  
A.E. Gómez

We have analysed the standards of the MK system in the B0-F5 spectral region with the help of Hipparcos parallaxes, using only stars for which the error on the absolute magnitude is ≤ 0.3 mag. The sample stars (about one hundred) were scrutinized for companions and for interstellar extinction. We find that the main sequence is a wide band and that, although in general giants and dwarfs have different absolute magnitudes, the separation between luminosity class V and III is not clear. We conclude that there is no strict relation between luminosity class and absolute magnitude. The relation is only a statistical one and has a large intrinsic dispersion. We have analysed similarly the system of standards defined by Garrison and Gray (1994) separating low and high rotational velocity standards. We find similar effects as in the original MK system.


1995 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 399-402
Author(s):  
A.E. Gómez ◽  
C. Turon

The Hertzprung-Russel (HR) diagram luminosity calibration relies basically on three kinds of data: trigonometric parallaxes, kinematical data (proper motions and radial velocities) and cluster distances obtained by the zero-age main sequence fitting procedure. The most fundamental method to calculate the absolute magnitude is the use of trigonometric parallaxes, but up to now, accurate data only exist for stars contained in a small volume around the sun. Individual absolute magnitudes are obtained using trigonometric parallaxes or photometric and spectroscopic calibrations. In these calibrations the accuracy on the absolute magnitude determination ranges from ±0.m2 in the main sequence to ±0m5 in the giant branch. On the other hand, trigonometric parallaxes, kinematical data or cluster distances have been used to make statistical calibrations of the absolute magnitude. The standard error on the mean absolute magnitude calibrations ranges from ±0m3 to ±0m6 on the mean sequence, from ±0m5 to ±0m7 on thegiant branch and is of about 1mfor supergiants.Future improvements in the absolute magnitude determination will depend on the improvement of the basic data from the ground and space. A brief overview of the new available data is presented. In particular, the analysis of the first 30 months data of the Hipparcos mission (H30) (from the 37 months data of the whole mission) allows to perform a statistical evaluation of the improvements expected in the luminosity determination.


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