An Intergrated System for Stellar Photometry

电荷耦合器件（CCD）探测器的高灵敏度使得在望远镜上获得大量图像成为可能，如果小心的话，光度测量的质量远远超过摄影所能做的。另一方面，高速数字化设备的发展也大大增加了从照相底片产生的数字数据的数量，如果不是质量的话。对于许多类型的工作，CCD已经成为检测器的选择，但仍然有一些项目是摄影非常适合的。恒星光度测量在尺度和精度上的巨大变化为天文学研究开辟了新的途径：星团色星等图与恒星演化理论的详细比较，光度函数的确定，以及真正的大规模调查，例如，星系结构问题，寻找变星，以及对档案板的新分析。在波士顿大学，进行数字恒星光度测量所需的软件有很多，但天文系的总体增长和恒星光度测量新项目的结合即将压倒现有的计算设备。该合同将帮助完成CCD光度测定和数字摄影光度测定综合系统的开发。

The great sensitivity of Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) detectors makes it possible to acquire large numbers of images at the telescope, and if care is taken, the quality of the photometry far exceeds what can be done photographically. On the other hand, the development of high-speed digitizing equipment has also dramatically increased the quantity, if not the quality, of digital data which can be generated from photographic plates. For many types of work, CCD's have become the detector of choice, but there are still projects for which photography is well-suited. This dramatic change in the scale and precision of stellar photometry has opened up new avenues for astronomical research: detailed comparisons of cluster color-magnitude diagrams with stellar evolution theory, determination of luminosity functions, and truly large-scale surveys e.g., for problems in galactic structure, searches for variable stars, and new analyses of archival plates. At Boston University, much of the needed software exists for doing digital stellar photometry, but the combination of general growth of the Astronomy Department and new projects in stellar photometry is about to overwhelm the existing computing facilities. This award will help complete the development of an integrated system for CCD photometric reductions and digital photographic photometry.