Photometry

Measuring Energy

Photometry measures the

energy from a source using a
narrow range of wavelengths.
Visual wavelengths from
400-700 nm
Narrower slice of
wavelengths
Photometry uses filters to select
wavelengths.

Spectroscopy measures energy

over a wide range of
wavelengths.
Visual spectrum
UV, IR spectra
Full EM spectra

Spectroscopy requires
instruments to get at each
wavelength separately.
Interferometer

Luminosity of Stars
Luminosity measures how much energy is produced.
Absolute brightness L
Relative luminosity is usually based on the Sun.
Astronomers measure luminosity relative to the Sun.
LSun = 1 L
LSirius = 23 L
Stars range from 0.0001 L to 1,000,000 L .

Magnitude

m n 2.5 log( En / Em )

The observed brightness is

related to the energy received.

The magnitude scale was

originally 6 classes.
Effectively logarithmic

The magnitude (m) was made

formal in 1856.
Lower numbers brighter
6m at the limit of human
vision

For 1 unit of magnitude:

En
101 2.5 2.512
Em

Brightness Magnified

Images from a telescope must

fit within the pupil.
Brightness proportional to
the aperture squared
Ratio of observed to natural
No increase for extended
objects from magnification.
Eg. M31(> moon)
Light on more rods
Exclusion of other light

fe
P D
fo
R

Ltelescope
Leye

fo
M
fe

M
1
2
P
2

Point Source Magnified

Point sources are smaller than
one pixel (or rod).
No increase in image size
from magnification
The ratio of brightness increase
is the light grasp G.
Pupil size 7 mm
The limiting magnitude comes
from the aperture.
CCD 5 to 10 magnitudes
better

D2
G 2
P
G 2 10 4 (m 2 ) D 2
mmin 16.8 5 log10 D
in meters
8 aperture is 13.3m

Apparent Magnitude

The observed magnitude

depends on the distance to the
source.
Measured as apparent
magnitude.

The scale is calibrated by stars

within 2 of the north celestial
pole.

Some bright stars (app. mag.):

Sun
-26.7
Sirius
-1.4
Alpha Centauri
-0.3
Capella
0.1
Rigel
0.1
Betelgeuse
0.5
Aldebaran
0.9

These are all brighter than first

magnitude (m = 1.0)

Distance Correction
d

M m 2.5 log
100
2

Brightness falls off as the

square of the distance d.

Absolute magnitude M
recalculates the brightness as if
the object was 10 pc away.
1 pc = 3 x 1016 m = 3.26 ly

The absolute magnitude can be

corrected for interstellar
absorption AD.

M m 5 5 log d
M m 5 5 log d AD
AD = 0.002 m/pc in galactic plane

Absolute Magnitude

Distance is important to
determine actual brightness.

Example: 2 identical stars

A is 7 pc, B is 70 pc from Earth
The apparent brightness of B is
1/100 that of A
The magnitude of B is 5 larger.

Some bright stars (abs. mag.):

Sun
4.8
Sirius
1.4
Alpha Centauri
4.1
Capella
0.4
Rigel
-7.1
Betelgeuse
-5.6
Aldebaran
-0.3

These are quite different than

their apparent magnitudes.

Imaging

Photographic images used the

width of an image to determine
intensity.
Calibrate with known stars
Fit to curve

CCDs can directly integrate the

photoelectrons to get the
intensity.
Sum pixels covered by
image
Subtract intensity of nearby
dark sky

Data is corrected for reddening

due to magnitude and zenith
angle.

D A B log10 I

Solar Facts

Radius:
R = 7 105 km = 109 RE
Mass :
M = 2 1030 kg
M = 333,000 ME
Density:
= 1.4 g/cm3
(water is 1.0 g/cm3, Earth is
5.6 g/cm3)

Composition:
Mostly H and He

Temperature:
Surface is 5,770 K
Core is 15,600,000 K

Power:
4 1026 W

Hydrogen Ionization
p = p2/2m

Particle equilibrium in a star is

dominated by ionized
hydrogen.

Equilibrium is a balance of
chemical potentials.

n=3
n=2

g H n nQp

H n mH n c kT ln

n=1

g p nQp

p m p c kT ln

H n e p

nH n

e me c 2 kT ln

n p
g e nQe

ne

Saha Equation
mH n c 2 m p c 2 me c 2 n

g ( H n ) g n g e g p 4n 2

n ( H n ) g n n

e
ne n p
nQe

kT

The masses in H are related.

Small amount n for
degeneracy

Protons and electrons each have

half spin, gs = 2.
H has multiple states.

The concentration relation is

the Saha equation.
Absorption lines

Spectral Types
The types of spectra were originally
classified only by hydrogen
absorption, labeled A, B, C, , P.
Understanding other elements lines
allowed the spectra to be ordered by
temperature.
O, B, A, F, G, K, M
Oh, Be A Fine Guy/Girl, Kiss Me
Our Brother Andy Found Green
Killer Martians.

Type
O
B
A
F
G
K
M

Temperature
35,000 K
20,000 K
10,000 K
7,000 K
6,000 K
4,000 K
3,000 K

Spectral Classes

Some bright stars (class):

Sun
G2
Sirius
A1
Alpha Centauri
G2
Capella
G8
Rigel
B8
Betelgeuse
M1
Aldebaran
K5
Temperature and luminosity are
not the same thing.

Detailed measurements of
spectra permit detailed classes.

Each type is split into 10

classes from 0 (hot) to 9 (cool).

Filters
Filters are used to select a restricted bandwidth.
Wide: ~ 100 nm
Intermediate: ~ 10 nm
Narrow: < 1 nm
A standard set of optical filters dates to the 1950s
U (ultraviolet violet): p = 365 nm, = 70 nm
B (photographic): p = 440 nm, = 100 nm
V (visual): p = 550 nm, = 90 nm

Filter Sets

Other filter sets are based on a

specific telescope.
HST: 336, 439, 450, 555,
675, 814 nm
SDSS: 358, 490, 626, 767,
907 nm

The standard intermediate filter

set is by Strmgren.
u, b, v, y,
w: p =486 nm, =15 nm

CCDs have are good in IR, so

filter sets have moved into IR
as well.
U, B, V, R, I, Z, J, H, K, L,
M.
Example M : p = 4750 nm,
= 460 nm

Color Index
The Planck formula at relates the
intensity to the temperature.
Approximate for T < 104 K
Two magnitude measurements at
different temperatures can
determine the temperature.
Standard with B and V filters
Good from 4,000 to 10,000 K

2c 2 h hc / kT
W ( , T )
e
5

TB V

hc
hc

0.65 10 4 K
B k V k

T
B V 2.5 log10 exp B V
T
T

7090 K
( B V ) 0.71

Stellar Relations

The luminosity of a star should

be related to the temperature.
Blackbody formula
Depends on radius

L 4R 2T 4

Some bright stars:

Sun
G2
4.8
Sirius
A1
1.4
Alpha Centauri G2 4.1
Capella G8
0.4
Rigel
B8
-7.1
Betelgeuse M1
-5.6
Aldebaran K5
-0.3

Luminosity vs. Temperature

-20

Ab s . M a g n i t u d e

-15

-10

-5

Sun

10
15
20

O B A F G K M
Spectral Type

Most stars show a relationship

between temperature and
luminosity.
Absolute magnitude can
replace luminosity.
Spectral type/class can
replace temperature.

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

The chart of the stars

luminosity vs. temperature is
called the Hertzsprung-Russell
diagram.

This is the H-R diagram for

hundreds of nearby stars.
Temperature decreases to
the right

Main Sequence
-20

Ab s . M a g n i t u d e

-15

Most stars are on a line called

the main sequence.

The size is related to

temperature and luminosity:
hot = large radius
medium = medium radius
cool = small radius

-10

-5

Sirius

10
15
20

O B A F G K M
Spectral Type

1 solar
radius

Balmer Jump
The color indexes can be
measured for other pairs of
filters.
The U-B measurement brackets
the Balmer line at 364 nm.
Opaque at shorter
wavelength
This creates a discontinuity in
energy measurement.
Greatest at type A
Drop off for B and G
Michael Richmond, RIT

Photometric Comparison
Stellar classification is aided by different response curves.

Bolometric Magnitude
Bolometric magnitude measures
the total energy emitted at all
wavelengths.
Modeled from blackbody
Standard filter V
Zero for main sequence
stars at 6500 K

BC mbol V
BC M bol M V

2.5 10 W m 10

L 3 10 28 W 10 0.4 M bol
8

0.4 mbol

Luminosity is directly related to

absolute bolometric magnitude.
Flux to apparent bolometric
magnitude