[mesa-users] Questions on stellar colors

[Bill Paxton]

Hi Ale,

On Jan 27, 2012, at 11:34 AM, Alessandro Patruno wrote:

> Hi all, 
> 
> I have evolved several stellar models with MESA and I am trying to calculate the UBVR colors of the stars. 
> I see there is a module called "colors" that should in principle be able to do the job. 
> 
> However, I can't understand how to implement it. I've compiled and run the "colors" module test and it works, 
> what am I supposed to do next ? 
> I have my .log files of my stellar models already evolved and stored.
> Would be possible for the "colors" module
> to take those output .log files and create the UBVR colors for each star model I evolved ? 
> Or do I have to re-run all the simulations by specifying somewhere that MESA has to calculate the colors during the run ? 
> If so, where do I have to specify this ? 


The colors module will do one model at a time -- it is your job to call it with the right arguments and do something with the results.
You have a choice: you can write a routine to read the star log and extract the necessary args for calling colors,
or you can rerun with a modified run_star_extras routine that calls colors between steps and saves the results.

Since the args for colors are just Teff, L, M, and [Fe/H], you'll probably have what you need in your star.log files.
If you decide to do it by reading the log, you'll need to call colors_init at the start.

Hope that helps!

Cheers,
Bill