Shared Flashcard Set

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Galaxies
'n stuff
20
Astronomy
Undergraduate 3
04/25/2011

Additional Astronomy Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Planck Epoch
Definition
Period in the BBT that's a mystery partly because we lack a quantum theory of gravity
Term
The Grand Unification Epoch
Definition
Period in BBT where forces except gravity are unified
Term
The inflationary epoch
Definition
Period in BBT when the universe expands rapidly from smaller than a proton to bigger than a melon - suported experimentally
Term
Electroweak epoch
Definition
Period in BBT where weak and electromagnetic forces act as one
Term
The Quark, Hadron, and Lepton Epoch
Definition
Period in BBT; What we think of as "normal" elementary particles form and survive
Term
Photons, Nucleosynthesis, and the Cosmic Background Radiation
Definition
Period of BBT; Atoms form (Hydrogen and Helium) and cosmic background radiation "decouples" from matter
Term
Dark Ages
Definition
Period in BBT in which atoms exist but stars don't
Term
"Modern" Era
Definition
Period in BBT; Stars form - Quantum fluctuations at the time of inflation determines the distribution of matter int he univers. Denser areas are where stars will form. Gravity is the major large-scale force.
Term
Order of Big Bang Theory 
Definition

1. Planck Epoch

2. Grand Unification Epoch

3. Inflationary Epoch

4. Elecroweak Epoch

5. Quark, Hadron, Lepton Epoch

6. Photons, Nucleosynthesis and Cosmic Background Radiation

7. Dark Ages

8. "Modern" Era

Term
Sun's position in the Milky Way
Definition
in the disk, 2/3 out fromt he center
Term

230 million years

Definition

How long it takes the sun to go around the Milky way once

Term
Halo (of Milky Way)
Definition
contains Globular clusters, is spherical in shape, contains pop. II stars and very little interstellar gas and dust
Term
Galactic disk (of Milky Way)
Definition
flattened shape, spiral arms, both pop I and pop II stars, interstellar gas, dust, and pop I stars associated with spiral arms.
Term
Bulge (of Milky Way)
Definition
Center of the galaxy, football shape, pop II stars, little gas and dust, supermassive black hole at the center.
Term
Three major types of galaxies (in Hubble Classification scheme)
Definition
Elliptical, Spiral/Barred Spiral, Irregular
Term
Radar ranging
Definition
How to measure distance within the solar system
Term
Parallax
Definition
How to measure distance to nearby stars
Term
Main-sequence fitting
Definition
How to measure distance in the Milky Way
Term
Cepheids
Definition
Used to measure distance to nearby glaxies
Term
Distant standards
Definition
How to measure distance of galaxy clusters (Tully-Fisher relation is a phrase that might be associated with this...)
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