A detached eclipsing binary yields a component of mass (uncertain to ) and bolometric…

PHYSICS · Subjective · Fermi University Physics · Scientific Practice & Experimental Methods · Astrophysics & Cosmology · Uncertainty in measurement

Stars from the Inside, Ch Binary stars: fitted orbits, modelled eclipses and the Roche geometry

Problem

A detached eclipsing binary yields a component of mass M=1.8 M⊙M = 1.8\,M_\odot (uncertain to 1%1\%) and bolometric luminosity L=6.3 L⊙L = 6.3\,L_\odot (uncertain to 2%2\%). Test this measurement against the single power law L/L⊙=(M/M⊙)3.5L/L_\odot = (M/M_\odot)^{3.5}, anchored so that L=L⊙L=L_\odot at M=M⊙M=M_\odot, by computing the predicted luminosity at this mass and comparing it with the measured value. State whether the single power law describes this star.

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