Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Photometry”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9

Ultraviolet photometry from the orbiting astronomical observatory. 8: The blue Ap stars

The filter photometers in the Wisconsin Experiment Package on OAO-2 were used to obtain data for a carefully selected set of 24 blue Ap stars and 31 comparison standard B and A dwarfs and giants for a program of relative photometry. Observations were made in seven bandpasses over the effective wavelength range 1430A-4250A. The Ap stars observed include members of the Si, Hg-Mn and Sr-Cr-Eu peculiarity classes. Most of them are too blue in B-V for their published MK spectral classes. The blue Ap stars are markedly deficient in emitted ultraviolet flux and are underluminous as compared to normal stars with the same UBV colors. The Hg-Mn stars appear less flux deficient in the ultraviolet for their UBV colors than do Si or Sr-cr-Eu stars. Most of the Ap stars observed possess ultraviolet flux distributions, or ultraviolet color temperatures, consistent with their published MK spectral classes to well within the classification uncertainties.

Leckrone, D. S.↗

Ultraviolet photometry from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. VII alpha squared Canum Venaticorum.

Far-ultraviolet photometry by OAO-2 is presented for alpha squared CVn covering the entire 5.47-day period of this magnetic Ap variable. The light curves ranging from 1330 to 3320 A indicate that there are two important sources of back warming from far-ultraviolet absorption. Strong line blanketing by the rare earths redistributes flux longward of the Balmer discontinuity, causing the major observed photometric variations. In addition, a second source, which may be due to a combination of continuous opacities and line blanketing from the iron-peak and rare-earth groups below 1600 A, apparently redistributes flux into the region of the Balmer discontinuity. It is also found that ground-based determinations of the effective temperature are overestimated due to the flux redistribution from far-ultraviolet absorption. The effective temperature of alpha squared CVn derived from OAO and ground-based absolute fluxes is found to be 11,200 K, which remains constant over the cycle.

Molnar, M. R.↗

Multicolor photoelectric photometry of Neptune.

Mean opposition magnitudes at unit distance and geometric albedos obtained as functions of wavelength from multicolor photoelectric photometry observations of Neptune performed in southern France and South Africa are presented. The measurements were made in the standard UBV bands and in seven narrow bands isolated by interference filters between 0.314 and 0.627 microns.

Appleby, J. F.↗

Minor planets and related objects. IX - Photometry and polarimetry of /1685/ Toro.

UBV photometry, lightcurves, a polarization-phase relation, and rotational polarization curves of Toro were obtained, June-August 1972. The average colors are B-V = 0.87 and U-B = 0.47 mag, showing some reddening with phase. The geometric albedo of Toro in the B filter is 0.14 which corresponds to an effective mean radius of 2.2 km plus or minus 0.4 (p.e.). The rotational polarization curves indicate that the lightcurves are mostly due to shape, but some albedo variation over the surface is detected as well. The shape is elongated, and probably irregular, with a cross-sectional area ratio of about 3.2, the maximum effective radius is 2.8 km and the minimum, 1.6 km.

Dunlap, J. L.↗

Determination of radii of satellites and asteroids from radiometry and photometry.

Visual photometry, which measures reflected solar radiation, can be combined with infrared radiometry, which measures absorbed and reradiated solar energy, to determine the albedo and hence the radius of small solar system objects. Equations and graphical solutions for radius and albedo are presented for cases where the object is at opposition, in equilibrium with the insolation, and has unit values for phase integral and infrared emissivities. Each of these assumptions is then discussed, and expressions are given for the dependence of the derived parameters on the assumptions. The Galilean satellites, whose radii are well known, provide a calibration of this technique. Applications are then discussed to Saturn's satellites Iapetus and Rhea and to asteroids (1) Ceres, (4) Vesta, and (324) Bamberga. It is shown that the technique is not subject to major systematic errors and that it is possible to derive radii, particularly for dark objects, with uncertainties of less than 10%.

Morrison, D.↗

Photometry and polarimetry

A review of available information on the photometry, polarimetry, and narrow band spectrophotometry of Titan discusses five major categories: (1) brightness and color as a function of orbital position; (2) brightness and color as a function of solar phase angle; (3) geometric and bond albedo; (4) reflectance as a function of wavelength; and (5) polarization as a function of solar phase angle. It is concluded that a Saturn-like cloud model may be required to explain the sum of polarimetric and photometric observations.

Veverka, J.↗

Photometry of Comet Kohoutek /1973f/

Data are reported which provide the first large, homogeneous set of photoelectric and infrared photometry obtained for any comet. Assuming an albedo of 0.5 (a high albedo is assumed because of the large ratio of gas to dust in Kohoutek), the diameter of the nucleus of the comet is estimated to be 10 to 15 km. Based on a comparison with the infrared spectrum of Comet Bennett, it was calculated that the latter had about 16 times as much dust as Kohoutek. The data are used to obtain an evaluation of O'Dell's (1971) expression for the albedo of cometary dust grains in terms of the integrated infrared surface brightness and the surface brightness of scattered light in the continuum.

Rieke, G. H.↗

Ultraviolet photometry from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. XI - The 1971 eclipse of 32 Cygni

We observed the 1971 eclipse of 32 Cyg at regular intervals from November 1 to 15 with the wide-band filter photometers aboard OAO-2. Data have been reduced for seven filter bands with effective wavelengths between 4250 and 1430 A. Both the constancy of the light near mid-eclipse for the shorter wavelengths, and the derived energy distribution of the B component over all of these wavelengths indicate that the eclipse was total. The spectral types determined from the photometry of the two components are B5 and K4 Ib, after correction for interstellar reddening of 0.10 mag in B-V.

Doherty, L. R.↗

Ultraviolet photometry from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. XIII - The albedos of Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune

Presentation of OAO-2 broad-band ultraviolet photometry data for Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. These data have been combined with observations of 23 late-type stars to derive planetary albedos over the region 2000-4300 A. The new broad-band albedo for Jupiter agrees well with a previous measurement based on OAO-2 spectrometer data. The albedos for Uranus and Neptune are in good agreement with ground measurements in the region of overlap. The results for Uranus and Neptune have been compared with theoretical calculations for semiinfinite and finite pure H2 Rayleigh-Raman scattering atmospheres. Except for the shortest wavelengths, the measurements lie below the semiinfinite theoretical calculations. The calculations for the finite atmospheres suggest that an additional absorbing constituent will be needed to explain the observed albedos.

Savage, B. D.↗

Infrared photometry of Titan

A set of observations of Titan at wavelengths from 1.6 through 34 microns shows that Titan has a remarkably low albedo near 1.6 micron. Thermal flux observations for 10 years at 10.6 microns and for 5 years at 21 microns suggest that the thermal properties of Titan remained constant over this period and are independent of phase. Narrowband photometry between 17 and 25 microns does not indicate the presence of a structure characteristic of a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. An atmospheric model consistent with the observations is proposed for Titan.-

Low, F. J.↗

Luminosities and temperatures of M dwarf stars from infrared photometry

Bolometric magnitudes for a large number of M type dwarf stars, obtained by broadband infrared photometry at 1.65, 2.2, and 3.5 microns, are reviewed. The data obtained indicate that one parameter is sufficient to describe the blanketing in all of the UBVRI bands for all types of M dwarfs. In general, late M dwarfs seem to have lower effective temperatures than are predicted by theoretical models.

Veeder, G. J.↗

Surface photometry of galaxies. I - The SB0 NGC 2950

Surface photometry of NGC 2950, a classic example of the SB0 type galaxy, is presented. The analysis shows that except for the rudimentary bar the galaxy closely resembles an S0 galaxy. The disk component has an exponential light curve with a central surface brightness of B(0) = 21.65 per square second of arc and a scale size of 4.3 kpc. The nucleus, bar, and disk components contain 29, 22, and 48 percent, respectively, of the light. Integral and differential colors are presented and discussed in terms of the three components mentioned above.

Crane, P.↗

Asteroids - Infrared photometry at 1.25, 1.65, and 2.2 microns

We report the first results of a new program of asteroid photometry at wavelengths of 1.25, 1.65, and 2.2 mu. In this paper the observations of three asteroids are reduced to spectral reflectance. Ceres and Pallas have surfaces which are probably composed of carbonaceous chondritic-type material. A basaltic achondritic composition remains a good candidate for Vesta.

Johnson, T. V.↗

Photoelectric photometry of comet Kohoutek (1973f)

Comet Kohoutek was observed with the 50 cm (f/15) reflecting telescope of the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile, on fourteen nights between January 16 and 30, when the heliocentric and geocentric distances of the comet were r=0.66 - 1.00 A.U. and delta=0.81 - 0.96 A.U., respectively. The 40 inch and 80 inch diaphragms were used for the photometry of the cometary head in the UBV system and with six interference filters. The atmospheric conditions were good but the accuracy of observations was low due to large extinction and twilight. The mean error of one measurement of log F in all but Na 5893 A filters can be estimated at plus or minus 0.02, whereas the accuracy through the Na filter was substantially lower.

Kohoutek, L.↗

Blue band photometry of Cygnus X-1

Results of blue band photometry of HDE 226868 in the years 1972-3-4 and provisional results for 1975 are presented. A mean light curve is obtained from the first three years observations which is based on 192 nights observations. Intercomparison of the results from the different years shows that the light curve is not constant.

Walker, E. N.↗

He II lambda 4686 photometry of HD 153919

The optical component of the binary X-ray source 3U1700-37/HD 153919 was observed with the interference filter centered on the He II lambda 4686 emission. This photometry does not reveal any dependence of lambda 4686 emission on the orbital phase thereby confirming earlier spectroscopic result that the region of formation of the ionized helium emission is confined to the envelope of the 06f primary.

Krzeminski, W.↗

Ultraviolet photometry from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. XXI - Absolute energy distribution of stars in the ultraviolet

The absolute energy distribution in the ultraviolet is given for the stars alpha Vir, eta UMa, and alpha Leo. The calibration is based on absolute heterochromatic photometry between 2920 and 1370 A carried out with an Aerobee sounding rocket. The fundamental radiation standard is the synchrotron radiation from 240-MeV electrons in a certain synchrotron storage ring. On the basis of the sounding-rocket calibration, the preliminary OAO-2 spectrometer calibration has been revised; the fluxes for the three program stars are tabulated in energy per second per square centimeter per unit wavelength interval.

Bless, R. C.↗

Physical properties of asteroids from UBV photometry

A program of asteroid photoelectric photometry is discussed which is designed primarily to obtain UBV magnitudes and colors of most asteroids reaching magnitude 13.3 or brighter at opposition and of asteroids reaching magnitude 14.3 or brighter at perihelic opposition. A two-color plot is presented for asteroids whose compositional classes have been determined by radiometry, spectrophotometry, and polarimetry. A clear separation by color is observed for S and C objects; M and E objects are shown to be colorimetrically similar to C objects. Another two-color plot for about 200 asteroids reveals a continuum between the C and M, E domains and a possible continuum between the C and S domains. A plot of the frequency distribution of asteroid semimajor axes indicates that C objects predominate in the outer part of the asteroid belt while S objects are more numerous in the inner part. Statistics of asteroid phase angles and light-curve amplitudes are examined. It is suggested that the phase coefficient of an asteroid is inversely proportional to its geometric albedo and that S objects may be less spherical than C objects.

Bowell, E.↗