Recent Developments in the Work on Automated Spectral Classification by Means of Objective Prism Spectra

Abstract

Some years ago a complex programme of studying the main meridional section of the Galaxy was started by astronomers of Kiev, Tartu, Abastumani and Vilnius Observatories with the aim of improving our knowledge of spatial and kinematic characteristics of stellar populations. Characteristic to the programme is the use of absolute proper motions of stars together with automated quantitative spectral classification for large stellar-statistical samples. The data are gathered in areas lying within 30° of the main meridional section of the Galaxy. To classify stars, objective prism stellar spectra of intermediate dispersion (166 å/mm at Hγ), obtained with the 70 cm meniscus telescope at the Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory, are used. The field diameter is 4° 50′, and the limiting photographical stellar magnitude is about 12 m . Our system of automated quantitative spectral classification of F-K stars applies criteria evaluation and is mainly based on two software packages: the SDR package for spectrometric data reduction and the CTATEC-2 package determining the linear regression model used for classification (Malyuto & Shvelidze 1989; Malyuto, Pelt & Shvelidze 1993).