光度误差对星系团主序宽度的测量影响

本文讨论了 B 和 V 光度误差，或任何其他颜色系统中的测量误差，对于颜色-星等（Hertzsprung-Russell）图中主序宽度的影响。宽度被定义为在固定测量颜色下， apparent（或绝对）星等的离散程度。我发现这种离散程度通常大于先验想象。 presented a statistical analysis which demonstrates that the error in the magnitude residual from a linear approximation to the main sequence is Gaussian, but with a standard deviation which is much larger, in general, than the errors in the individual B and V magnitudes. This result is confirmed by a Monte Carlo simulation of a main sequence population with specified errors in B and V magnitudes, and can be explained on the basis of simple algebraic arguments.