Abstract
Our knowledge of celestial bodies results largely from the analysis of the radiation which they emit, absorb, or reflect. Apart from particle emission, there are electromagnetic waves that obey the well-known relation c = λν, where c = 2.99792458 × 108 ms−1 is the speed of light in vacuum, λ the wavelength, and ν the frequency. The electromagnetic spectrumspans the range fromthe ultrashort-wavelength γ rays through ultraviolet (UV), visible, and infrared ranges to the radio waves. The bulk of this spectrum is not observable from the surface of the Earth, because the atmosphere is transparent only within certain wavelength windows. This chapter is concerned with the radiation reaching the observer through the classical optical window between λ = 300 nm to around λ = 1000 nm. (The much wider radio window is discussed in Chap. 9.) With the aid of suitable instruments, this radiation can be decomposed into its spectral constituents, and the spectrum analyzed. The following sections provide a survey of the theory of spectra and the objects, instruments, and several methods of analysis which are accessible to amateur astronomers.
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
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Unsöld, A., Baschek, B.: The New Cosmos: An Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (2005)
Morgan, W.W., Keenan, P.C.: Spectral Classification. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 11, 29 (1973)
Scheffler, H., Elsässer, H.: Physik der Sterne und der Sonne. BI Wissenschaftsverlag, Mannheim (1990)
Moore, C.E., Minnaert, M.G.J., Houtgast, J.: The Solar Spectrum 2935 Å to 8770 Å (2nd revision of Rowland’s preliminary table of solar spectrum wavelengths). National Bureau of Standards Monograph 61, Washington, DC (1966)
Swings, P.: Atlas of Representative Cometary Spectra. University of Liège, Astrophysical Institute (1956)
Bronshten, V.A.: Physics of Meteoric Phenomena. D. Reidel, Boston (1983)
Thorne, A., Litzén, U., Johansson, S.: Spectrophysics: Principles and Applications. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (1999)
Gainer, M.K.: Real Astronomy with Small Telescopes. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (2007)
Tonkin S.F.: Practical Amateur Spectroscopy. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (2002)
Ramsey, L.W.: Focal Ratio Degradation in Optical Fibers of Astronomical Interest. In: Fiber Optics in Astronomy, ASP Conference Series, vol. 3. Astronomical Society of the Pacific, San Francisco (1988)
Avila, G.: Tests of Optical Fibers for Astronomical Instrumentation at ESO. In: Fiber Optics in Astronomy, ASP Conference Series, vol. 3. Astronomical Society of the Pacific, San Francisco (1988)
Dearden, S.J.: Spectroscopy with Commercial Spectrographs. In: Tonkin S.F.: Practical Amateur Spectroscopy. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (2002)
Adelman, C.J. et al.: Finding List for Multiplet Tables of NSRDS-NBS 3 Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 60, 339 (1985) http://webviz.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/VizieR. Accessed 2008
Lide, D.R.: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. CRC, Boca Raton, FL (1998)
Morgan, W.W., Keenan, P.C., Kellman, E.: An Atlas of Stellar Spectra, Chicago, Ill., The University of Chicago Press, Chicago (1943) http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/ASS_Atlas/frames.html. Accessed 2008
Kaler, J.: Stars and their Spectra. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1997)
Pearce, J.A.: In: Oosterhoff P. (ed.) Trans. IAU Vol IX B. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1955)
Moore, C.E.: A Multiplet Table of Astrophysical Interest, NBS Technical Note 36. US Department of Commerce, Washington, DC (1959)
Kurucz, R.L., Peytremann, E.: A Table of Semiempirical gf-Values, Special Report 362. Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA (1976)
Voigt, H.H.: Abriss der Astronomie. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg (2002)
Aller, L.H.: Astrophysics, The Atmospheres of the Sun and Stars, 2nd edn. Ronald Press Co., New York (1963)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Häfner, R., Rupprecht, G. (2009). The Nature of Light and Matter: Fundamentals of Spectral Analysis. In: Roth, G. (eds) Handbook of Practical Astronomy. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76379-6_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76379-6_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-76377-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-76379-6
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)