The influence of interstellar absorption on measured strengths of the Balmer discontinuity.
Abstract
The definition of the Balmer-discontinuity strength from observational spectrophotometric data is discussed in relation to detailed results on the wavenumber dependence of the interstellar absorption. The break in the interstellar absorption curve at a wavenumber of about 2.33 permicrons is found to introduce systematic errors in many currently defined strengths of the Balmer discontinuity. The errors should be proportional to the amount of the color excess caused by interstellar absorption. Using the interstellar absorption curves established by Divan (1954) and by Nandy (1964) theoretical relations are derived between the amount of interstellar absorption and the corresponding influence on the Balmer-discontinuity strength. These linear relations are confirmed through tests on larger sets of observational data. At the same time the derived relations are useful as correction formulas.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- September 1978
- Bibcode:
- 1978A&A....69....1A
- Keywords:
-
- Balmer Series;
- Electromagnetic Absorption;
- Interstellar Extinction;
- Stellar Spectra;
- B Stars;
- Colorimetry;
- Error Analysis;
- Least Squares Method;
- Polynomials;
- Astronomy;
- Balmer Lines:Interstellar Absorption