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Re: [Phys-l] the sun



At 05:51 PM 11/12/2008, John D., you wrote:
On 11/12/2008 01:44 PM, Folkerts, Timothy J wrote:

>... the HR diagram says nothing directly about mass -- only
> temperature and luminosity.

With all due respect, sometimes "almost no value" is 100%
of the available value.

For..."main sequence" stars....unless you get lucky
(e.g. some binary systems) the HR diagram
tells you almost everything you are going to know about the mass
of the star.
*) High mass --> hot and bright
*) Low mass --> cool and faint ...

This URL puts a little flesh on the relation between the HR
diagram and mass versus luminosity.

http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/kluhman/a1/lec17.html

I thought it interesting that it suggests perhaps half
of all stars are binary, hence open to the possibility of
relating mass to periodic times.


Brian Whatcott Altus OK Eureka!