Fundamentals of Stars II: Revisiting Bolometric Corrections

Year 2025, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 43 - 61, 24.06.2025

Zeki Eker , Volkan Bakış

Abstract

Luminous efficiency and heat index were two previously suggested auxiliary tools for calibrating stellar temperature scales before the term “bolometric correction” (BC) introduced for the same purpose by Kuiper in 1938, as 𝐵𝐶 = 𝑀bol−𝑀V = 𝑚bol−𝑉. Despite its ill-posed nature imposing no zero-point constant (𝐶2 = 0) for the BC scale and 𝐿V = 𝐿×10𝐵𝐶/2.5, if 𝐵𝐶 > 0, 𝐿V is unphysical, for the luminosity of a star from which “BC of a star must always be negative,” “the bolometric magnitude of a star ought to be brighter than its 𝑉-magnitude,” and “the zero point of bolometric corrections are arbitrary” (paradigms) were extracted. The most recent of the first three definitions of BC was accepted and used throughout the century. Therefore, the phase in the development of BC prior to Kuiper may be considered pre-science period in the Kuhnian philosopy of science. The rest is the normal science period in which astrophysicists work under the three paradigms. The rise of BC as a concept, how the ill-posed definition BC emerged/used, how inconsistencies (paradigms) of BC developed, and how the Resolution B2 of the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union imposing 𝐶bol = 71.197425 . . . mag, and 𝐶2 > 0, for the zero-point constants of the 𝑀Bol and

BCscales resolve the long-lasting problems were discussed. Generalized new definition of BC implying 𝐿V = 𝐿 × 10(BC−𝐶2) 2.5 were given to replace 𝐿V = 𝐿 × 10𝐵𝐶/2.5.

Keywords

Stars: fundamental parameters, Stars: general, Solar and Stellar Astrophysics, Astrophysics- Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

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