2009/03/01 by David A. van Dyk, Steven DeGennaro, Nathan Stein +3 · 4 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Binary number #Binary star #Function (biology) #Initial mass function #Mathematics #Metallicity #Physics #Star formation #Stars #Statistical physics #Stellar evolution #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #White dwarf #stat.AP
paper · pdf · doi:10.1214/08-aoas219
published as Annals of Applied Statistics 2009, Vol. 3, No. 1, 117-143 · Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/08-AOAS219 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org)
openalex publication_date 2009/03/01 · arxiv created 2009/05/15 · arxiv updated 2016/04/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Color-Magnitude Diagrams (CMDs) are plots that compare the magnitudes (luminosities) of stars in different wavelengths of light (colors). High nonlinear correlations among the mass, color, and surface temperature of newly formed stars induce a long narrow curved point cloud in a CMD known as the main sequence. Aging stars form new CMD groups of red giants and white dwarfs. The physical processes that govern this evolution can be described with mathematical models and explored using complex computer models. These calculations are designed to predict the plotted magnitudes as a function of parameters of scientific interest, such as stellar age, mass, and metallicity. Here, we describe how we use the computer models as a component of a complex likelihood function in a Bayesian analysis that requires sophisticated computing, corrects for contamination of the data by field stars, accounts for complications caused by unresolved binary-star systems, and aims to compare competing physics-based computer models of stellar evolution.