STScI Preprint #1208


Solar-Type Stars: Basic Information on their Classification and Characterization

Authors: David R. Soderblom, Jeremy R. King
There are three classes of stars like the Sun that are defined by Cayrel de Strobel (1996): Solar-type (or Solarlike) Stars, Solar Analogous Stars, and Solar Twins. The defining physical properties of any star are its mass, composition, and age, yet none of these is a fully or directly observable quantity. Also, angular momentum and companionship are important influences on the behavior of stars like the Sun and cannot be ignored.

We will review some of the observational limits on these fundamental properties and discuss how recent observations allow samples of solar-type stars to be defined and tabulated. Some of the questions raised are:

Status:
Appeared in: The proceedings of Solar Analogs: Characteristics and Optimum Candidates, 1998, p41-60 (held 6-7 October 1997 at Lowell Observatory)

Affiliations:
Space Telescope Science Institute 3700 San Martin Drive Baltimore, MD 21218 USA

Copyright notice

huizinga@stsci.edu
Last updated, December 31, 1997