Vacuum ultraviolet spectrophotometry and effective temperatures of hot stars

Absolutely calibrated ultraviolet stellar spectra from 3100 A to the hydrogen absorption edge at 912 A were obtained on 1977 February 17 by rocket observations above Woomera, Australia. Spectra taken at 15 A resolution have been compared with the observed fluxes from OAO 2 and with recent model-atmosphere fluxes of Kurucz for five hot stars: Gamma (2) Vel, Zeta Pup, Alpha Eri, Beta Cen, and Alpha Vir. The present data give fluxes which are generally lower than those obtained from OAO 2, with the largest deviations of about 20% between 1400 and 1700 A. Agreement with the models is good, although the model fluxes are substantially larger than the observed values below 1200 A. This discrepancy is greater for the higher-temperature stars. Effective temperatures are also determined and are in good agreement with previous results.