- KIM YONGCHEOL
- Journal of the Korean astronomical society = 천문학회지
- 31, n.2
- pp.77-87
- 1998
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The accumulated knowledge of the influence of solar granulation on spectral lines, i.e. their asymmetry, provides a key to analyze stellar spectral line asymmetries. In this paper, a simple line synthesis using a simple 'model' of granulation was calculated. By adjusting the properties of the granule model, the observed imprints of convection on spectral lines can be reproduced. Since we depict convective flows using a continuous function rather than using a few components of flows (cf. Gray and Toner 1985, 1986; dravins 1990), we were able to identify which components of convection are important in line bisector shapes. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: Firstly, the intensity contrast (i.e. temperature fluctuation), and the area coverage of up- and down-flows are the two important factors which determine the line bisector shapes. Secondly, on the contrary to the assumption of other studies, the effect of horizontal flows is non-negligible. This exercise provides a qualitative understanding of the effect of convection on spectral lines. This knowledge serves as a guideline for understanding the characteristic difference in convection for stars on either side of the 'Granulation Boundary' (Gray 1982; Gray and Nagel 1989).