Abstract
The physics of stars has turned out to be surprisingly important for cosmology. If we understand how stars work, we can use their observed properties to infer their intrinsic luminosities, and combine those with measured fluxes to determine distances. Finding stars at different distances then allows us to map the geometry of the universe. Two types of stars have come to play vital roles in cosmology: pulsating stars called Cepheids, and exploding white dwarfs called type Ia supernovae.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
An adiabatic equation of state would fit the bill: from Eq. (16.4), P ∝ R −3γ for an adiabatic process. We do not necessarily assume that pulsations are adiabatic, but we do consider the possibility below.
- 2.
- 3.
Parallax is a kind of triangulation that uses Earth’s motion around the Sun to provide a different perspective on nearby stars relative to background objects (see Sect. 2.1).
- 4.
References
W.L. Freedman, B.F. Madore, Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 48, 673 (2010)
H.S. Leavitt, E.C. Pickering, Har. Coll. Obs. Circ. 173, 1 (1912)
A.S. Eddington, Obs. 40, 290 (1917)
S. Webb, Measuring the Universe: The Cosmological Distance Ladder. Springer Praxis Books/Space Exploration (Springer, Chichester, UK, 1999)
J.T. Armstrong, T.E. Nordgren, M.E. Germain, A.R. Hajian, R.B. Hindsley, C.A. Hummel, D. Mozurkewich, R.N. Thessin, Astron. J. 121, 476 (2001)
F. Caputo, G. Bono, G. Fiorentino, M. Marconi, I. Musella, Astrophys. J. 629, 1021 (2005)
G. Bono, W.P. Gieren, M. Marconi, P. Fouqué, F. Caputo, Astrophys. J. 563, 319 (2001)
W.L. Freedman et al., Astrophys. J. 553, 47 (2001)
S. Perlmutter, Phys. Today 56(4), 53 (2003)
B.W. Carroll, D.A. Ostlie, An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, 2nd edn. (Addison-Wesley, San Francisco, 2007)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Keeton, C. (2014). Charting the Universe with Stars. In: Principles of Astrophysics. Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9236-8_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9236-8_18
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-9235-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9236-8
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)