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GR-raytracing/assets/2mass/processed/README.md
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2026-08-25 22:45:43 -04:00

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Renderer-facing 2MASS star catalog

2mass_psc_m31_0p5deg_stars.csv is made from the corresponding table in ../raw/ by python3 scripts/process_2mass_psc.py.

The processor accepts --input and --output, so the same documented quality selection and fit are used for the M44 comparison field.

The CSV is intentionally compatible with the current four-column catalog loader: ra_deg,dec_deg,temperature_K,amplitude_sr. RA and Dec are ICRS/J2000 degrees. The loader treats them as longitude and latitude when constructing the source-sky direction.

Quality selection

All three J/H/Ks magnitudes must be finite and every character of rd_flg must be 1, 2, or 3. These are the 2MASS default-magnitude origins that generally indicate the best detections, photometry, and astrometry. Thus the script rejects nondetections/upper limits (0), poor aperture photometry (4), inconsistent band deblends (6), and missing brightness estimates (9).

Two-parameter fit

For J, H, Ks effective wavelengths 1.235, 1.662, and 2.159 micrometres and Vega zero points 1594, 1024, and 666.7 Jy, respectively, each magnitude is converted to flux density using F_nu = F_nu,0 * 10^(-0.4 m).

The script then performs an unweighted least-squares fit in log(F_nu) to

F_nu = amplitude_sr * B_nu(T).

temperature_K is constrained to 300--100000 K; amplitude_sr is the fitted apparent solid angle in steradians. The fit treats each band as monochromatic at its effective wavelength and does not deredden the source. This is the same two-parameter thermal-source reduction described qualitatively in the reference paper, but the paper does not publish its fit implementation; this script therefore records the numerical choice explicitly.

References: 2MASS rd_flg definitions, 2MASS zero points.