Abstract
Modern instrumentation makes it possible to measure the mass to radius ratio for main sequence stars in open clusters from gravitational redshifts. For stars where independent information is available for either the mass or the radius, this application of general relativity directly determines the other quantity. Applicable examples are: 1) measuring the radii of solar metallicity main sequence stars for which the mass - luminosity relation is well known, 2) measuring the radii for stars where model atmospheres can be used to determine the surface gravity (the mass to radius squared ratio), 3) refining the mass - radius relation for main sequence stars, and 4) measuring the change in radius as stars evolve off the main sequence and up the giant branch.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Journal | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| Volume | 458 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 10 1996 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- gravitation
- open clusters and associations: general
- relativity
- stars: fundamental parameters (masses
- radii)
- techniques: radial velocities
Disciplines
- Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy