Is Ned's Calculator Mislabeling Angular Size Distance?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a potential mislabeling in Ned Wright's cosmology calculator regarding angular size distance and angular diameter distance. Participants explore the implications of the Etherington reciprocity theorem and its relation to these distances, as well as the terminology used in cosmology.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant claims that Ned Wright's calculator mislabels angular size distance as angular diameter distance, referencing the Etherington reciprocity theorem to support this assertion.
  • Another participant acknowledges the claim and notes that there is variability in how cosmologists use the term "angular size distance."
  • A different participant confirms the distinction between angular diameter distance and angular size distance, expressing appreciation for a new cosmology calculator that provides additional visual information.
  • Further clarification is provided regarding the interpretation of angular size distance, suggesting it can be viewed as the distance at which light was emitted from an object.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the terminology and usage of angular size distance versus angular diameter distance, indicating that no consensus has been reached on the labeling issue in the calculator.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved nuances regarding the definitions of angular size distance and angular diameter distance, as well as the implications of the Etherington reciprocity theorem in this context.

meteor
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I've noticed what it seems to be an error in Ned Wright's calculator
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/CosmoCalc.html

First off, I want to present a beautiful theorem that relates 3 of the more often used distances in astronomy. Is called Etherington reciprocity theorem (Etherington,1933). It can be found here
http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/gr-qc/pdf/9910/9910014.pdf
and here
http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Hogg/Hogg7.html
the theorem is
DL=(1+z)*DS=(1+z)2*DD

DL is luminosity distance
DS is angular size distance
DD is angular diameter distance

If you go to the calculator, and introducing any value of redshift, you don't get the angular size distance, how is indicated, but the angular diameter distance! Just see the value of the luminosity distance and introduce it in Etherington theorem
I'm right in my claims?
 
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meteor said:
I'm right in my claims?

You (and NW both) are right.
There is some difference in usage among cosmologists.
"angular size distance" doesn't, unfortunately, always mean the same thing.

the Hogg tutorial is great. thanks for linking to it and reminding everybody.
I think he is admirably clear about the different kinds of distance,
have be reading that tutorial some this afternoon. more tomorrow
 
Well you are totally right about Angular Diameter Distance.
I found a new cosmology calculator which gives plots as well.
http://icosmos.co.uk

It is a nice toy :)) i like it actually...
 
tata said:
Well you are totally right about Angular Diameter Distance.
I found a new cosmology calculator which gives plots as well.
http://icosmos.co.uk

It is a nice toy :)) i like it actually...

Tata, I owe you for two things already, and it is just your first post!

Welcome, glad to have your company.
Thanks for the new online cosmic calculator. Other people here may want to check it out. The special feature is that it plots functions of redshift---like the distance now of an object we are now seeing with redshift z (the comov. dist. associated with z). So every time you use the calculator it gives you extra information--quickly plotting a bunch of interesting curves.

Thanks also for reminding me about HOGG'S DISTANCE SCALES tutorial!
http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Hogg/Hogg_contents.html
This is about 10 years old and I have one or two minor reservations about how he words things but it is very useful---a good link to have handy. Many posters may want to check it out.

About angular size distance----more explicitly angular diameter distance. (Ned Wright, in his calculator, calls it angular size distance so I tend to stick with that terminology.)
One nice thing about angular size distance is that one can consider it as the distance then, when the object or material emitted the light that we are now seeing.

So both comov. distance and ang.size distance have nice interpretations as the real physical distance to the object or material resepectively now and then----now at the instant we receive the light and then when the light was emitted.
 

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