Kirchhoffs Laws

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Kirchhoffs Laws

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The Pessimist

• On the subject of stars, all investigations
  which are not ultimately reducible to simple
  visual observations arenecessarily denied to us
  We shall never be able by any means to study
  their chemical composition.
• A. Comte (1835)

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The Spectrum of a Starnote the missing colours
the broken piano keys
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The Spectrum of the Suna historical drawing
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A Parable Playing the Piano

• All notes allowed!

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Kirchhoffs First Law
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Favourite Keys

• Only the As

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Kirchhoffs Second Law
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K-1 and K-2
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The Paradox

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Kirchhoffs Third Law
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Example A Stellar Spectrum
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Where Does It Happen?
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The Suns Spectrum in Detail
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Other Stars
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What We Learn Cosmic Abundances
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Simple in Principle Collect and Disperse the
Light

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Complex Details and Interpretations(here,
sunlight reflected from Mars)