<p>According to Wikipedia, 76% of all stars are of spectral type M, 12% are of K, 7.5% are of G, etc. (see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_classification#Spectral_types" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this section on Stellar Classification</a>). This is very helpful, but is too vague, as the temperature span is too large and irregular to derive an accurate distribution formula for the temperature frequency of a zero-age main sequence star.</p>
<p>Is there such known distribution histogram for zero-age main sequence stars, plotted as <span class="math-container">$x=T_{eff}$</span> and <span class="math-container">$y=\text{percentage of stars}$</span>?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-14T19:11:53.590Z
Have you looked at initial mass functions?
AtmosphericPrisonEscape
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-14T20:03:41.450Z
I doubt that there has been a spectral typing survey on a large volume-limited sample.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-15T06:39:08.380Z
Note also that you are talking about two different things. The temperature distribution of ZAMS stars isn't the same as the T distribution of observed stars and in fact isn't directly observable across the full mass range.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-15T19:51:45.707Z
@AtmosphericPrisonEscape Yes, but it isn't really a distribution. Initial mass functions are exponential functions, and I have no idea on how to convert them into some sort of distribution. But it would be a good start to an answer :)
WarpPrime
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-15T20:18:06.073Z
??? Any function can be a distribution function. Just write $df/dN$ on the l.h.s of it???
AtmosphericPrisonEscape
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-15T23:48:32.963Z
@AtmosphericPrisonEscape Your $df/Dn$ doesn't seem to be working for me. Could you please explain more regarding converting IMFs into distributions?
WarpPrime
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T11:34:20.223Z
@fasterthanlight if I understand your question correctly your looking for the "frequency" in the distribution sense and not in the sense of Hz?
GrapefruitIsAwesome
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T19:01:20.613Z
@GrapefruitIsAwesome Yes.
WarpPrime
<star><temperature><mathematics><stellar-classification>
Stellar temperature ~ frequency relationship?
WarpPrime
# Stellar temperature ~ frequency relationship?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-04-14)

According to Wikipedia, 76% of all stars are of spectral type M, 12% are of K, 7.5% are of G, etc. (see [this section on Stellar Classification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_classification#Spectral_types)). This is very helpful, but is too vague, as the temperature span is too large and irregular to derive an accurate distribution formula for the temperature frequency of a zero-age main sequence star.

Is there such known distribution histogram for zero-age main sequence stars, plotted as $x=T\_{eff}$ and $y=\text{percentage of stars}$?

**Tags:** star, temperature, mathematics, stellar-classification

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Have you looked at initial mass functions?  
> **username_2**: I doubt that there has been a spectral typing survey on a large volume-limited sample.  
> **username_2**: Note also that you are talking about two different things. The temperature distribution of ZAMS stars isn't the same as the T distribution of observed stars and in fact isn't directly observable across the full mass range.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Yes, but it isn't really a distribution. Initial mass functions are exponential functions, and I have no idea on how to convert them into some sort of distribution. But it would be a good start to an answer :)  
> **username_1**: ??? Any function can be a distribution function. Just write $df/dN$ on the l.h.s of it???  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Your $df/Dn$ doesn't seem to be working for me. Could you please explain more regarding converting IMFs into distributions?  
> **username_3**: @fasterthanlight if I understand your question correctly your looking for the "frequency" in the distribution sense and not in the sense of Hz?  
> **username_0**: @username_3 Yes.  

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## 0 answers

