LINE IDENTIFICATION STUDIES USING TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES AND WAVELENGTH COINCIDENCE STATISTICS

Traditional line identification techniques result in the assignment of individual lines to an atomic or ionic species (e.g., Ca i, Fe ii). These methods may be supplemented by wavelength coincidence statistics (WCS). We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these methods using spectra of a number...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPublications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Vol. 102; no. 655; pp. 1077 - 1085
Main Authors COWLEY, CHARLES R., ADELMAN, SAUL J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Legacy CDMS The Astronomical Society of the Pacific 01.09.1990
University of Chicago Press
Subjects
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Coincidence
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Experimentation
Fine structure
Fundamental astronomy and astrophysics. Instrumentation, techniques, and astronomical observations
Instruments and Data Analysis
Nonsense
Observation and data reduction techniques. Computer modeling and simulation
Spectrograms
Stars
Stellar spectra
Stellar spectral lines
Wavelengths
Statistical method
Data analysis
Spectrometry
Analysis method
Wavelength
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Summary:Traditional line identification techniques result in the assignment of individual lines to an atomic or ionic species (e.g., Ca i, Fe ii). These methods may be supplemented by wavelength coincidence statistics (WCS). We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these methods using spectra of a number of normal and peculiar and A stars that have been studied independently by both methods. The present results support the overall findings of some earlier studies. WCS would be most useful in a. first survey, before traditional methods have been applied. WCS can quickly make a global search for all species and in this way may enable identifications of an unexpected spectrum that could easily be omitted entirely from a traditional study. This is illustrated by O i. WCS is subject to the well-known weaknesses of any statistical technique; for example, a predictable number of spurious results are to be expected. The dangers of small number statistics are illustrated here. WCS is at its best relative to traditional methods in finding a line-rich atomic species that is only weakly present in a complicated stellar spectrum.
Bibliography:CDMS
Legacy CDMS
ISSN: 0004-6280
ISSN:0004-6280
1538-3873
DOI:10.1086/132736