Luminosity Distribution in Galaxies. II. A Study of Accidental and Systematic Errors with Application to NGC 3379. Capaccioli, M. & de Vaucouleurs, D. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement, 52:465-486, 1983.
Luminosity Distribution in Galaxies. II. A Study of Accidental and Systematic Errors with Application to NGC 3379 [pdf]Paper  abstract   bibtex   
This paper is a sequel to a study of NGC 3379 as a luminosity distribution standard. The following sources of accidental and systematic errors in ground-based photographic and photoelectric surface photometry of galaxies are discussed: photographic calibration and local errors, sky level errors, microphotometer errors; photoelectric zero-point errors, integration errors, centering errors. Instru- mental and atmospheric convolution effects are analyzed, in particular the structure of the point spread function (PSF) with application to an EO galaxy obeying r1/4 law; the combined effects of the PSF and convolution by finite apertures centered or not are calculated; the effects of errors in the dispersion of the Gaussian core of the PSF and in aperture radius on the convolution corrections are evaluated; the influence of scattered light (aureole) and airglow fluctuations on the faint outer parts of EO galaxies of various effective radii is calculated; numerical applications to NGC 3379 are made. Galactic and extragalactic effects including interstellar extinction and diffuse nebulosities at high latitudes, bright field stars, and galaxies are discussed; the effect of statistical fluctuations in the distribution of subthreshold stars and galaxies is evaluated. All these sources of errors combine to restrict the domain of meaningful surface photometry of galaxies to p,B < 28 mag arc sec-2 (Ê > 0.3 egpc“2). Even at brighter levels, 18 < ju,5 < 28, true mean errors less than 0.1 mag are difficult to achieve, and larger errors are introduced by convolution effects in regions of high luminosity gradient, such as galactic nuclei. Most of these errors are inherent to the nature of the things and, except for improvements in resolution, will not be greatly reduced by further technical advances. Subject

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