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The Absolute Magnitudes of RR Lyrae Stars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

A. Manduca
Affiliation:
University of Maryland
R. A. Bell
Affiliation:
University of Maryland

Abstract

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A theoretical counterpart to the Barnes-Evans relation between stellar surface brightness and V-R color has been calculated from model atmospheres for parameters appropriate to RR Lyrae stars. Such a relation can be used to derive stellar angular diameters from V,R photometry and, when applied to variable stars and combined with a radial velocity curve,, to derive radii, distances, and absolute magnitudes by the method of Barnes et al. (1977, MNRAS,178, 661). This was done for RR Lyr and X Ari using the photometry of Moffett and Barnes (1980, private communication) and radial velocities from the literature. The resulting absolute magnitudes are <MV> ± + 0.59 + 0.25 for X Ari and <MV> = 0.61 + 0.35 for RR Lyr. The method is shown to be a very accurate way of determining radii, distances, and absolute magnitudes for RR Lyrae stars which compares very favorably to the variations of the Baade-Wesselink technique currently in use.

Type
VII. RR Lyrae and BL Herculis Variables
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1980