Stellar Paths: Photographic Astrometry with Long-Focus Instruments

179 Pages·1981·9.79 MB·English

by  Peter Van De Kamp (auth.)

STELLAR PATHS
ASTROPHYSICS AND
SP ACE SCIENCE LIBRARY
A SERIES OF BOOKS ON THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
OF SPACE SCIENCE AND OF GENERAL GEOPHYSICS AND ASTROPHYSICS
PUBLISHED IN CONNECTION WITH THE JOURNAL
SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS
Editorial Board
J. E. BLAMONT, Laboratoire d'Aeronomie, Verrieres, France
R. L. F. BoYD, University College, London, England
L. GOLDBERG, Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson. Ariz., U.S.A.
C. DE JAGER, University of Utrecht. The Netherlands
Z. KOPAL, University of Manchester. England
G. H. LUDWIG, NOAA. National Environmental Satellite Service. Suitland, Md. • U.S.A.
R. LUST, President Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Wissenschaften. Miinchen. F.R.G.
B. M. MCCoRMAC, Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, Palo Alto, Calif, U.S.A.
H. E. NEWELL, Alexandria, Va., U.S.A.
L. I. SEDOV, Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R .• Moscow. U.S.S.R.
Z. SVESTKA, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
VOLUME 85
PETER VAN DE KAMP
STELLAR PATHS
PHOTOGRAPHIC ASTROMETRY WITH LONG-FOCUS
INSTR UMENTS
with an Introduction by Jean-Claude Peeker
D. REIDEL PUBLISHING COMPANY
DORDRECHT : HOLLAND / BOSTON: U.S.A.
LONDON : ENGLAND
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
van de Kamp, Peter, 1901-
Stellar paths.
(Astrophysics and space science library; v. 85)
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Astrometry. I. Title. II. Series.
QB807.V33 523.8'1 81-8505
ISBN-13: 978-94-009-8452-3 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-009-8450-9
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-009-8450-9
Published by D. Reidel Publishing Company,
P.O. Box 17,3300 AA Dordrecht, Holland.
Sold and distributed in the U.S.A. and Canada
by Kluwer Boston Inc.,
190 Old Derby Street, Hingham, MA 02043, U.S.A.
In all other countries, sold and distributed
by Kluwer Academic Publishers Group,
P.O. Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, Holland.
D. Reidel Publishing Company is a member of the Kluwer Group.
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 1981 by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1981
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or by any informational storage and
retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner
to Maja
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE xiii
INTRODUCTION BY JEAN-CLAUDE PECKER (English) xv
INTRODUCTION BY JEAN-CLAUDE PECKER (French) XIX
I. Astrometry: Historical Highlights
2. Long-Focus Photographic Astrometry. Telescope; Measuring
Machine 6
3. Observational Errors. Instrumental Equation 13
4. Stellar Paths. Reduction of Measurements 18
5. Path of Single Star. Relative Parallax, Proper Motion,
Quadratic Time Effect 26
6. Reduction to Absolute. Accuracy: Cosmic Errors 33
7. Parallax Results for Nearest Stars. H-R Diagrams 40
8. Perspective Secular Changes in Proper Motion, Radial Velocity,
and Parallax 45
9. Reduction from Heliocentric to Barycentric 58
10. Visual Binaries. Orbital elements 63
11. Path of Star with Orbital Motion. Photocenter 79
12. Mass-Ratio and Masses. Harmonic Relation 86
13. Perturbations in Stellar Paths. History. Analysis 93
14. Unseen Astrometric Companions. Illustrations 102
15. Unseen Astrometric Companions. General 115
16. Planetary Companions. Barnard's Star 119
17. Long-Period Eclipsing Binaries: VV Cephei and Epsilon Aurigae 134
18. Epilogue. Attainable Accuracy. Substellar and Planetary
Detectability 141
REFERENCES 146
INDEX 150
The Sproul refractor in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania with Dr John L. Hershey. Aperture
61 em, focal length 10.93 m. Scale in focal plane I mm = 18.87 or I" = 53 microns.
CONTENTS
1. Astrometry: Historical Highlights.
(a) Fundamental astronomy. Long-focus photographic astrometry.
(b) Precession, Heliocentric viewpoint. Kepler's three laws, proper
motions. Stellar Aberration. Nutation.
(c) Solar motion. Binary stars. Parallax. Perturbations.
(d) The two star streams or preferential motion, Asymmetry. High
velocity stars. The galactocentric viewpoint. Galactic rotation.
2. Long-focus Photographic Astrometry. Telescope; Measuring Machine.
(a) Telescope. Refractors: dispersion, focal ratio, coma, spherical aber-
ration; Rayleigh's criterion.
(b) The USNO reflector.
(c) Measuring machines. The SAMM and SCAN machines at USNO.
(d) The Grant machine at Sproul Observatory.
3. Observational Errors. Instrumental Equation.
(a) Accidental errors.
(b) Systematic errors.
(c) Instrumental equation: Sproul refractor.
(d) Time of night effect.
4. Stellar Paths. Reduction of Measurements.
(a) Image plane and tangential plane;
Equatorial and standard coordinates.
(b) Scale, orientation and tilt effects.
(c) Reference stars: Standard frame, linear plate constants.
(d) Dependences; geometric accuracy.
5. Path of single star. Relative Parallax, Proper Motion, Quadratic Time
Effect.
(a) At the telescope.
(b) Plate weight; plate, night, year, measurement errors, double plates,
night weights.
(c) Analysis for relative parallax, proper motion and quadratic time
effect.
x CONTENTS
(d) Attainable accuracy.
(e) Calculation of accuracy of quadratic time effect.
6. Reduction to Absolute. Accuracy: Cosmic Errors.
(a) Dependence background of reference stars; spurious acceleration.
(b) Reduction to fixed background.
(c) Observational and cosmic errors.
(d) Accuracy of reduction to absolute quadratic time effect.
(e) Reduction to absolute parallax.
7. Parallax Results/or Nearest Stars. H-R Diagrams.
(a) Review.
(b) H -R diagrams
(c) Stars nearer than 5 parsec.
8. Perspective Secular Changes in Proper Motion, Radial Velocity, and
Parallax.
(a) Introduction.
(b) Basic considerations and relations.
(c) Changes of p, V, andp with time.
(d) Changes of dp/dt, dV/dt, and dp/dt with time or anomaly.
(e) Determination of perspective secular acceleration.
Examples: Barnard's star and van Maanen's star.
(f) Astrometric determination of radial velocity.
(g) Evaluation and elimination of quadratic time effect.
9. Reduction/rom Heliocentric to Barycentric.
(a) Perturbation of solar path.
(b) Heliocentric and barycentric parallax factors.
(c) Illustration: Barnard's star.
10. Visual Binaries. Orbital Elements.
(a) Introduction.
(b) Multiple exposure technique.
(c) Kepler's problem. Elliptical rectangular coordinates
(d) Apparent and true orbits. Orbital elements.
(e) Derivation of dynamical elements.
(f) Derivation of geometric elements. Thiele - Innes constants.
(g) Derivation of conventional from geometric elements.
CONTENTS xi
11. Path of Star with Orbital Motion. Photocenter.
(a) Resolved astrometric binary; mass-ratio.
(b) Unresolved astrometric binary; photocenter and photocentric orbit.
(c) Alternate analysis: parallactic and apparent orbit.
Orbital factors.
12. Mass-Ratio and Masses. Harmonic Relation.
(a) Fractional mass, mass-ratio. Harmonic relation.
(b) Mass-luminosity relation.
(c) Mass-ratio determination for long-period visual binary: Example: 61
Cygni.
(d) Derivation of harmonic relation.
13. Perturbations in Stellar Paths. History. Analysis.
(a) History. Discovery.
(b) Orbital analysis: dynamical and geometric elements.
(c) Mass-function. Orbital constant. Dynamical interpretation.
(d) Once more: systematic errors.
(e) Perturbations in visual binaries.
14. Unseen Astrometric Companions. Illustrations.
(a) Review.
(b) Illustrations.
15. Unseen astrometric Companions. General.
(a) Mass-luminosity relation.
(b) Number-and mass-density.
16. Planetary Companions. Barnard's Star.
(a) Introduction.
(b) Barnard's star: history, general data.
(c) Early results for perturbation.
(d) Latest Sproul solution for parallax, proper motion, and quadratic
time effect.
(e) Normal points and weights.
(f) Orbital solutions.
(g) Dynamical interpretation.
(h) Possible influence of reference stars.