Fundamentals of Stars II: Revisiting Bolometric Corrections

Abstract

The development line of bolometric corrections within the brief history of photometry was described from the perspective of the Kuhnian philosophy of science. The luminous efficiency and heat index were two previous concepts to imply visual and bolometric brightness difference of a star, which was mainly suggested and used as auxiliary tools for calibrating stellar temperature scales before the term ``bolometric correction'' (BC) was also introduced for the same purpose by Kuiper in 1938, as $BC=M_{\mathrm{bol}}-M_{\mathrm{V}}=m_{\mathrm{bol}}-V$. Despite its ill-posed nature imposing no zero-point constant ($C_2=0$) for the BC scale and $L_{\mathrm{V}}=L\times 10^{BC/2.5}$, if $BC>0$, $L_{\mathrm{V}}$ is unphysical, for the luminosity of a star from which ``BC of a star must always be negative,'' ``the bolometric magnitude of a star ought to be brighter than its $V$-magnitude,'' and ``the zero point of bolometric corrections are arbitrary'' (paradigms) were extracted. The newest of the first three definitions of BC was accepted and used throughout the century. Therefore, the part of the development line of BC before Kuiper could be considered a prescience period. The rest could be named the normal science period in which astrophysicists work under the three paradigms. The rise of BC as a concept, how the ill-posed definition BC emerged/used, how inconsistencies (paradigms) of BC developed, and how the Resolution B2 of the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union imposing $C_{\mathrm{bol}}=71.197425\dots$ mag, and $C_2>0$, for the zero-point constants of the $M_{\mathrm{Bol}}$ and BC scales resolve the long-lasting problems were discussed. Generalized new definition of BC implying $L_{\mathrm{V}}=L\times 10^{\frac{(\mathrm{BC}-C_2)}{2.5}}$ were given to replace $L_{\mathrm{V}}=L\times 10^{BC/2.5}$.

31 pages, 4 figures and 5 tables, accepted for publication in Physics and Astronomy Reports