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5 Radiative Transfer #4

The document discusses the concept of limb darkening in stellar atmospheres, which refers to the gradual decrease in brightness from the center to the edge of a star's disk. It presents mathematical formulations related to the emergent intensity and absorption along the path to the surface, as well as examples illustrating these principles. Additionally, it explores the relationship between intensity variation and angle in an equilibrium gray atmosphere.

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jagan8334091
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2 views9 pages

5 Radiative Transfer #4

The document discusses the concept of limb darkening in stellar atmospheres, which refers to the gradual decrease in brightness from the center to the edge of a star's disk. It presents mathematical formulations related to the emergent intensity and absorption along the path to the surface, as well as examples illustrating these principles. Additionally, it explores the relationship between intensity variation and angle in an equilibrium gray atmosphere.

Uploaded by

jagan8334091
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Stellar Atmosphere

Theory of Radiative Transfer


Limb Darkening
➢ gradual decrease in brightness of the disk of the Sun or of another star as observed
from its center to its edge, or limb

2
Limb Darkening
➢ gradual decrease in brightness of the disk of the Sun or of another star as observed
from its center to its edge, or limb

3
Limb Darkening
⇒ amout of emergent intensity 𝐼𝜆 (0) as a function of angle 𝜃?

𝑑𝐼𝜆
= 𝐼𝜆 − 𝑆𝜆
𝑑𝜏𝜆
Multiplying both sides by 𝑒 −𝜏𝜆
𝑑𝐼𝜆 −𝜏
𝑒 𝜆 − 𝐼𝜆 𝑒 −𝜏𝜆 = −𝑆𝜆 𝑒 −𝜏𝜆 𝜏𝜆 = 0 𝐼𝜆 (0)
𝑑𝜏𝜆

𝑑
𝑒 −𝜏𝜆 𝐼𝜆 = −𝑆𝜆 𝑒 −𝜏𝜆 𝜃
𝑑𝜏𝜆
𝐼𝜆 (0) 0
න 𝑑 𝑒 −𝜏𝜆 𝐼𝜆 = − න 𝑆𝜆 𝑒 −𝜏𝜆 𝑑𝜏𝜆 𝜏𝜆,0 𝐼𝜆,0
𝐼𝜆,0 𝜏𝜆,0
0
𝐼𝜆 0 = 𝐼𝜆,0 𝑒 −𝜏𝜆,0 − න 𝑆𝜆 𝑒 −𝜏𝜆 𝑑𝜏𝜆
𝜏𝜆,0

Absorption along Emission at every point along the path


the the path to attenuated by the absorption between
the surface the point of emission and the surface
4
Limb Darkening
0
𝐼𝜆 0 = 𝐼𝜆,0 𝑒 −𝜏𝜆,0 − න 𝑆𝜆 𝑒 −𝜏𝜆 𝑑𝜏𝜆
𝜏𝜆,0

For vertical optical depth, let, 𝜏𝜆 = 𝜏𝜆,𝑣 sec 𝜃

0
𝐼 0 = 𝐼𝑒 −𝜏𝑣,0 − න 𝑆 sec 𝜃 𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃 𝑑𝜏𝑣
𝜏𝑣,0

(to simplify the notation, dropped the subscript for


the wavelength, 𝜆. There is no assumption of gray
atmosphere.)

Emergent intensity from all layers of the atmosphere, 𝜏𝑣,0 = ∞, then

∞
𝐼 0 = න 𝑆 sec 𝜃 𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃 𝑑𝜏𝑣
0

5
Limb Darkening
Example. Consider the source function has the form of,
𝑆𝜆 = 𝑎𝜆 + 𝑏𝜆 𝜏𝜆,𝑣 ,
where, 𝑎 and 𝑏 are constants. Find the emergent intensity, 𝐼𝜆 0 .

Solution.

∞
𝐼 0 = න 𝑆 sec 𝜃 𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃 𝑑𝜏𝑣
0

∞
= ‫׬‬0 (𝑎 + 𝑏𝜏𝑣 ) sec 𝜃 𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃 𝑑𝜏𝑣

∞ ∞
= 𝑎 sec 𝜃 න 𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃 𝑑𝜏𝑣 + b sec 𝜃 න 𝜏𝑣 𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃 𝑑𝜏𝑣
0 0

6
Limb Darkening

∞ ∞
I 0 = 𝑎 sec 𝜃 ‫׬‬0 𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃 𝑑𝜏𝑣 + b sec 𝜃 ‫׬‬0 𝜏𝑣 𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃 𝑑𝜏𝑣

∞ ∞ ∞
𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃 𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃 𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃
= 𝑎 sec 𝜃 + 𝑏 sec 𝜃 𝜏𝑣 −න 𝑑𝜏𝑣
− sec 𝜃 0
− sec 𝜃 0 0 − sec 𝜃

∞
1 1 𝑒 −𝜏𝑣 sec 𝜃
= 𝑎 sec 𝜃 0 − + 𝑏 sec 𝜃 0 +
− sec 𝜃 sec 𝜃 − sec 𝜃 0

1
= 𝑎 + 𝑏 sec 𝜃
sec 2 𝜃

⇒ 𝐼𝜆 0 = 𝑎𝜆 + 𝑏𝜆 cos 𝜃

7
Limb Darkening
For an equilibrium gray atmosphere

𝐼 =𝑆
Then,
𝑆= 𝐼 𝜎𝑇 4
𝐼 =
𝜋
𝜎𝑇 4
= 3 2
𝜋 𝑇 4 = 𝑇𝑒4 𝜏𝑣 +
4 3
3𝜎 2
= 4𝜋 𝑇𝑒4 𝜏𝑣 + 3

Comparing with 𝑆 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝜏𝑣 , we get


𝜎 3𝜎
𝑎 = 2𝜋 𝑇𝑒4 and 𝑏 = 4𝜋 𝑇𝑒4

Variation in the intensity with angle 𝜃 from the vertical,

𝐼 𝜃 𝑎 + 𝑏 cos 𝜃 2 3
= = + cos 𝜃
𝐼(𝜃 = 0) 𝑎+𝑏 5 5
8
Limb Darkening
𝐼 𝜃 2 3
= + cos 𝜃
𝐼(𝜃 = 0) 5 5

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