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Explorations: Astronomy
Chapter 14-18
48
Astronomy
Undergraduate 1
04/27/2009

Additional Astronomy Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Spiral Density Wave-
Definition
the theory that the massive black hole in our galaxy sends compression waves thru the galaxy and creates new spiral arms
Term
Interstellar medium—
Definition
material between stars gas and dust
Term
21 cm radiation—
Definition
hydrogen spin flip –radio waves
Term
Dark Matter—
Definition
90 percent of matter in galaxy
Term
Cosmic rays—
Definition
particles shot out by supernova
Term
Dust grains—
Definition
carbon and silicate dust between stars
Term
Emission nebula—
Definition
heated glowing gasses
Term
Reflection nebula—
Definition
bluish from dust reflection
Term
Molecular clouds—
Definition
prime areas for formation
Term
Spirals-
Definition
20% of all galaxies –lots of dust and gas—normal most abundant of spirals
Term
Elliptical Galaxies-
Definition
80% of all galaxies—most are dwarfs the super large ones eat others
Term
Standard Candles-
Definition
each type of galaxy has certain absolute magnitude
Term
Clusters-
Definition
galaxies are not alone but in clusters
Term
Super cluster-
Definition
clustering of clusters
Term
Hubble’s Law-
Definition
the farther the faster
Term
Hubble’s Constant-
Definition
50 to 100 km/sec/mpc
Term
Cepheids—
Definition
1 to 100 days –yardsticks to other galaxies
Term
Period luminosity—
Definition
how we use Cepheid’s to measure distance
Term
Cosmological principle—
Definition
homogeneous and isotropic
Term
Cosmological red shift—
Definition
all bodies are moving away –further the faster
Term
Cosmological horizon—
Definition
how far back can we see
Term
Look back time—
Definition
time since the beginning of universe
Term
Radio galaxies—
Definition
colliding galaxies—main reason
Term
Quasar—
Definition
quasi stellar objects –small energetic cores of early galaxies
Term
Dark energy—
Definition
makes up 60 percent of dark matter
Term
Rotational curve—
Definition
stars do not slow down as they go around the galaxy because of dark matter
Term
Orbits in clusters—
Definition
galaxies orbit each other faster because of dark matter
Term
Gravitational lensing—
Definition
light is bent by galaxies more than it should because of dark matter
Term
MACHOS—
Definition
massive compact halo objects –may be dark matter
Term
Baryonic matter—
Definition
normal matter about 10 percent
Term
WIMPS—
Definition
weakly interacting particles –may be dark matter
Term
large scale structures—
Definition
clusters of galaxies and clusters of cluster called super clusters
Term
Critical density—
Definition
matter needed to open or close the universe
Term
Recollapsing universe—
Definition
high critical density so universe stops expansion and recollapses
Term
Critical universe—
Definition
flat universe—this what we think it is—barely expanding
Term
Coasting universe—
Definition
expands forever
Term
Accelerating universe—
Definition
expansion goes faster
Term
Matter—
Definition
that which dominates the baryonic materials in our universe
Term
Antimatter—
Definition
opposite to our matter
Term
Big bang-
Definition
universe expands out rapidly
Term
GUT—
Definition
grand unification of all forces
Term
Inflation—
Definition
time at beginning that universe expanded quickly
Term
Cosmic microwave background—
Definition
left over of early hot universe –3K now
Term
Obler’s paradox—
Definition
why is night sky dark—cannot have infinite size and infinite number of stars
Term
Natural selection—
Definition
Darwin proposed
Term
Mutation—
Definition
biology changes life
Term
Habitable zone—
Definition
area around a star that life can exist
Term
Drake equation—
Definition
probabilities of life that communicates in universe
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