The Baade-Wesselink Technique

Abstract

The historical foundations of the Baade-Wesselink (BW) method were established through the work of Baade (1926), Becker (1940), and Wesselink (1947). All modern versions of the BW-method are constructed upon these foundations. Since the radii of pulsating stars are fundamental to many areas of astronomical research (theories of stellar structure and evolution, galactic structure, and the cosmic distance scale), it is paramount that we strive to improve their observational determination. At the present time, the BW-technique is the only “direct” method for determining the radii of pulsating stars. Until a new technique is devised, better determinations of this important physical parameter will only occur through improvements in the BW-method.