Vol. 20 No. 4 (2021): Mapana Journal of Sciences
Research Articles

Spectroscopy: The Tool to Study the Stars

Gourav Banerjee
CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru.
Bio

Published 2021-10-01

Keywords

  • Spectroscopy,
  • Stars,
  • Spectral Classification,
  • Saha Ionization

Abstract

Stars are not just useful in the pursuit of astronomy, their importance to us is fundamental. However, the true nature of stars remained a mystery for centuries. Then, through years of hard work we presently do have the tool using which we can actually study and understand the stars. That tool is spectroscopy. For the past few years, intense research in the field of stellar spectroscopy is being carried out at the CHRIST (Deemed to be University) too. This article, written in popular style, provides an understanding of how the exciting field of spectroscopy -- the language of stars -- gradually developed, thus helping humanity to gain a good understanding about stars and astronomy as a whole. The article intends to provide motivation to young students, especially of UG level, who dreams to pursue astronomy research in future to do research in this exciting field.

References

  1. Banerjee G., Mathew B., Paul K. T., Subramaniam A., Bhattacharyya S., & Anusha R. (2021). MNRAS, 500, 3926.
  2. Banerjee, G., (2019). MPhil~Thesis, 385S.
  3. Bhattacharyya S., Mathew B., Banerjee G., Anusha R., Paul K. T., Kartha S. S., (2021). MNRAS, 507, 3660.
  4. Carroll B. W., Ostlie D. A., (2017). An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, Cambridge University Press.
  5. Choudhuri, A. R., (2018). How the Saha Ionization Equation Was Discovered, eprint ar Xiv: 1810.10898.
  6. Chown, Marcus., (2000). The Magic Furnace: The Search for the Origins of Atoms, Vintage.
  7. Paul, K. T., (2013). PhD~Thesis, 385S.
  8. Kaler, J. B., (2011). Stars and their Spectra: An Introduction to the Spectral Sequence, Cambridge University Press.
  9. Kaler, J. B., (2002). The Hundred Greatest Stars, Copernicus.
  10. Kaler, J. B., (2001). Extreme Stars: At the Edge of Creation, Cambridge University Press.
  11. Robinson, Keith., (2007). Spectroscopy: The Key to the Stars: Reading the Lines in Stellar Spectra, Springer.
  12. Robinson, Keith., (2009). Starlight: An Introduction to Stellar Physics for Amateurs, Springer.
  13. Sana, H., (2017). The Lives and Death-throes of Massive Stars, 110.
  14. Walker, Richard., (2017). Spectral Atlas for Amateur Astronomers: A Guide to the Spectra of Astronomical Objects and Terrestrial Light Sources, Cambridge University Press.