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The zero point is used to calibrate a system to the standard magnitude system, as the flux detected from stars will vary from detector to detector. [2] Traditionally, Vega is used as the calibration star for the zero point magnitude in specific pass bands (U, B, and V), although often, an average of multiple stars is used for higher accuracy. [3]
The monochromatic AB magnitude is defined as the logarithm of a spectral flux density with the usual scaling of astronomical magnitudes and a zero-point of about 3 631 janskys (symbol Jy), [1] where 1 Jy = 10 −26 W Hz −1 m −2 = 10 −23 erg s −1 Hz −1 cm −2 ("about" because the true definition of the zero point is based on magnitudes as shown below).
Therefore, the magnitude m, in the spectral band x, would be given by = (,), which is more commonly expressed in terms of common (base-10) logarithms as = (,), where F x is the observed irradiance using spectral filter x, and F x,0 is the reference flux (zero-point) for that photometric filter.
For objects within the immediate neighborhood of the Sun, the absolute magnitude M and apparent magnitude m from any distance d (in parsecs, with 1 pc = 3.2616 light-years) are related by = = (), where F is the radiant flux measured at distance d (in parsecs), F 10 the radiant flux measured at distance 10 pc.
The vector approach defines flux density as a vector at a point of space and time prescribed by the investigator. To distinguish this approach, one might speak of the 'full spherical flux density'. In this case, nature tells the investigator what is the magnitude, direction, and sense of the flux density at the prescribed point.
The bolometric correction scale is set by the absolute magnitude of the Sun and an adopted (arbitrary) absolute bolometric magnitude for the Sun.Hence, while the absolute magnitude of the Sun in different filters is a physical and not arbitrary quantity, the absolute bolometric magnitude of the Sun is arbitrary, and so the zero-point of the bolometric correction scale that follows from it.
These fluxes are vectors at each point in space, and have a definite magnitude and direction. Also, one can take the divergence of any of these fluxes to determine the accumulation rate of the quantity in a control volume around a given point in space. For incompressible flow, the divergence of the volume flux is zero.
In optics the noise-equivalent flux density (NEFD) or noise-equivalent irradiance (NEI) of a system is the level of flux density required to be equivalent to the noise present in the system. [1] It is a measure used by astronomers in determining the accuracy of observations.