Re: Vega and k-corrections

From: Alex Kim (agkim@lbl.gov)
Date: Mon May 17 2004 - 23:57:17 PDT

  • Next message: Serena Nobili: "new spectral templates: update and problems"

    All,

    Here is my understanding of Chris' point which is correct.

    Since we are presenting Johnson-Cousins photometry, we need to use
    Johnson-Cousins zeropoints and uncertainties in the K-correction. Since
    Vega has the best calibrated spectrophotometry, the J-C zeropoints are
    most reliably determined via Vega. Vega zeropoints are corrected for
    the magnitude of Vega in the J-C system to give the J-C zeropoints. The
    equation Chris gives is correct for the relation between J-C and Vega
    K-corrections.

    There are two sources of error; from the Vega magnitude in the J-C
    system and from the Vega zeropoints. Both should be included in the
    error budget. It should be noted that both errors are completely
    correlated between supernovae that are K-corrected with the same filter
    pair. Also, the Vega zeropoint errors in different filters are also
    likely to be correlated.

    Alex

    Chris Lidman wrote:

    >Hi Serena,
    > I've though a bit more about the issue of cross filter k-corrections
    >and I attach a short report. Alex, I'd like you to read this and to give
    >us your opinion.
    >
    >Cheers, Chris.
    >
    >IR to Optical k-corrections
    >===========================
    >
    >The cross filter k-correction is defined in Kim, Goobar and Perlmutter
    >(1996)
    >and is applied to apparent magnitudes according to
    >
    >m_y = m_x + K_xy(z)
    >
    >where x and y are different filters.
    >
    >Let's assume that z=0 and that Z=F. Let's further assume that we are
    >using
    >the Kurucz model for Vega. In this case K_xy(0) = 0 and, hence,
    >
    >m_y = m_x
    >
    >However this is not true for Vega for all x and y (i.e. all filters)
    >
    >m_V=0.026 +/- 0.008 (Bohlin and Gilliland, 2004)
    >m_I=0.031 +/- 0.009 (Bessell, Castelli and Plez, 1998)
    >
    >m_J=-0.001 +/ -0.005 (Cohen, Wheaton and Megeath, 2003)
    >
    >where J is on the 2MASS system.
    >
    >If we set x to I and y to J
    >
    >Hence m_J=m_I-0.032.
    >
    >or m_I - m_J = 0.032 = -K_IJ
    >
    >I propose that we add an extra term to the cross filter k-correction as
    >defined by Alex which reflects the colours of Vega. Note that Alex's
    >definition is completely correct for an object in which all colours are
    >zero.
    >
    >The new k correction is then
    >
    >K'_xy(z) = K_xy(z) - (x-y),
    >
    >where (x-y) is the colour of Vega and K_xy(z) is the k-correction
    >defined by Alex.
    >
    >For the I band paper, we added this correction to the J band photometry.
    >I think we should change this by changing the way we do the
    >k-correction,
    >as I have described above.
    >
    >Apart from the uncertainties described here, there is a systematic
    >uncertainty
    >in how well the Kurucz spectrum represents Vega. Bohlin and Gilliland
    >quote an uncertainty of 2% from optical to IR wavelengths. We should add
    >this systematic uncertainty to all IR to optical K corrections.
    >
    >Bessell, M. S., Castelli, F. and Plez, B. 1998, AA, 333, 231
    >Bohlin, R. C. and Gilliland R. L. 2004, astro-ph/0403712
    >Cohen, M., Wheaton, WM. A. and Megeath, AJ, 2003, 126,1090
    >Kim, A, Goobar, A, and Perlmutter, S. 1996, PASP, 108, 190
    >
    >
    >On Fri, 2004-05-07 at 19:59, Chris Lidman wrote:
    >
    >
    >>Hi Serena,
    >> I'd like to draw your attention to some nice work that has been done
    >>on the absolute flux calibration of the Vega SED, which is central
    >>to the way we compute cross-filter k-corrections and, in particular,
    >>the corrections from IR to optical filters. See Bohlin and Gilliland
    >>(astro-ph/040371) and Cohen et al. (AJ 126, 1090).
    >>
    >> The core of their results is that Vega has V-J = 0.026 +/- 0.008.
    >>It is not 100% clear to me what this implies for IR -> optical
    >>k-corrections, but I'll read these papers carefully over the
    >>next week and I'll let you know what I think. It is interesting to note
    >>that this number is not too far away from the ensemble of A0 stars
    >>from the Hipparcos and 2MASS catalogs that were used to compute
    >>the offset between IR and optical photometric systems - V_J-J_2MASS =
    >>0.043
    >>
    >>Cheers, Chris.
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >
    >
    >



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Mon May 17 2004 - 23:57:27 PDT