Luminosity function of solar-neighborhood OB stars

Authors
Citation
Bc. Reed, Luminosity function of solar-neighborhood OB stars, PUB AST S P, 113(783), 2001, pp. 537-542
Citations number
34
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Space Sciences
Journal title
PUBLICATIONS OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC
ISSN journal
0004-6280 → ACNP
Volume
113
Issue
783
Year of publication
2001
Pages
537 - 542
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-6280(200105)113:783<537:LFOSOS>2.0.ZU;2-K
Abstract
The luminosity function of solar-neighborhood OB stars is derived from a sa mple of nearly 2600 such objects brighter than m(pg) = 10 via a method that makes use of varying completeness-to-distance estimates depending on the a bsolute magnitudes of the sample members and their (assumed) exponential de nsity distribution perpendicular to the Galactic plane. The derived luminos ity function is in good agreement with that published previously by Humphre ys and McElroy over the range -7 < M-v < -4. The integrated Galactic plane density of OB stars within this range of absolute magnitudes is estimated a t 9.1 x 10(-7) stars pc(-3), and the total number of OB stars within the so lar circle is estimated at similar to 19,000. The predicted number of OB st ars more massive than 20 solar masses within 2.5 kpc of the Sun, 636, is 50 % greater than the value of 424 given earlier by Germany et al., indicating that their sample was not as complete as they had assumed.