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The Universe as we know it
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182
Astronomy
Undergraduate 3
05/04/2012

Additional Astronomy Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
What is the celestial sphere
Definition

celestial equator 

north and south celestial 

horizon 

zenith 

Term
What ecliptic 
Definition
marks the path of the sun. it's the projection of the earth's orbit onto the sky 
Term
zodiac
Definition
18 degree wide belt around the ecliptic 
Term
Constellation today means
Definition
one of the 88 sectors into which we divide 
Term
what is the celestial tilt 
Definition
everything around the sun is tilt 
Term
who was copernicus 
Definition
contributions to sicence was the development of new sun-centered or heliocentric model of the solar system 
Term
What was the initial analysis of kepler 
Definition
orbits of the planets were circles 
Term
what did kepler discover 
Definition
orbit of mars had the shape of a somewhat flattened circle, ellipse 
Term
what is an ellipse 
Definition
sum of the distances from two special points inside the ellipse to any point on the ellipse is always the same 
Term
what is the foci
Definition
the two points inside of the ellipse 
Term
what is the major axis
Definition
the widest diameter of ellipse 
Term
what is the semimajor axis
Definition
distance from the center of the ellipse to one end 
Term
what is the eccentricity 
Definition
the ratio of the distance between the foci to the length of the major axis 
Term
Laws of planetary motion has how many laws
Definition
3 laws from kepler
Term
kepler's first law
Definition
each planet moves about the sun in an orbit that is an ellipse, with the sun at one focus of the ellipse 
Term
kepler's second law
Definition
the straight line joining a planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas in space in equal intervals of time 
Term
kepler's third law 
Definition
the squares of the planets' periods of revolution are in direct proportion to the cubes of the semimajor axes of their orbits 
Term
How many laws of motion are there 
Definition
Term
newton's first law 
Definition
every body continues doing what is already doing--being in a state of rest or moving uniformly in a straight line-
Term
newton's second law 
Definition
the change of motion of a body is proportional to the force acting on it, and is made in the direction in which that force is acting. 
Term
newton's third law 
Definition
to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction 
Term
what was Galileo's discoveries 
Definition
conservation of momentum 
Term
what is the conservation of momentum
Definition
where momentum is a measure of a body's motion 
Term
what is newton's first law sometimes called
Definition
law of intertia 
Term
what is acceleration
Definition
the rate of change in an object's velocity 
Term
which law is the most profound
Definition
newton's third law (gives us a way to define mass) 
Term
what is angular momentum
Definition
measures the momentum of an object as it rotates or revloves about some fixed points
Term
what does angular momentum depend on
Definition
mass, velocity, and distance 
Term
what is ordinary momentum
Definition
measure of an object's tendency to move at constant speed along its straight path 
Term
what conservation of the angular momentum
Definition
when there are no outside forces acting on the object in a way to produce torques that would disturb the angular motion of the object 
Term
what defines the most nature state of motion
Definition
straight line 
Term
What was netwon able to conclude about the force of gravity 
Definition
it must drop off with increasing distance between the sun and planet in proportion to the inverse square 
Term
 what is the latitude 
Definition

number of dgrees of arc away from the equator 

 

Term
longitude 
Definition
number of degrees of arc along the equator from the meridian passing through Greenwich to the one passing from the point of interest
Term
right ascension
Definition
is like longtitude, except that instead of Greenwich, its arbitrarily chosen point where we start counting is vernal equinox 
Term
Foucault pendulum
Definition
since 17th century it was generally accepted that earth rotates, but not until the 19th century this proven umbiguously 
Term
what happens to the sun in the summer 
Definition
the sun appears high in the sky and its rays hit the earth more direclty, spreading out less 
Term
what happens in the winter 
Definition
the sun is low in the sky and its rays spread out over a much wider area, becoming less effective at heating the ground 
Term
the measurement of time is based on 
Definition
 the rotation of the earth 
Term
what is the solar day
Definition
the length of a day is usually, the rotation period of the Earth with respect to the sun 
Term
what is sidereal day
Definition
is defined in terms of the rotation period of the earth with respect to the stars 
Term
What was Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism 
Definition
in the vicinity of an electric charge, another charge feels a force of attraction or repulsion: opposite charges attract; likes charge repel 
Term
stationary electric charges produces
Definition
electric fields 
Term
moving electric charges also produce
Definition
magnetic fields 
Term
changing magnetic fields could produce 
Definition
electric currents 
Term
changing electric currents could
Definition
produce changing magnetic fields 
Term
what is equal to the speed of light
Definition
speed of electromagnetic disturbance through space 
Term
electromagnetic waves do not require what 
Definition
air or water, like water or sound waves 
Term
what is aether
Definition
19th century made up a substance to fill of all space so that light waves could have something to travel through.
Term
what is wavelength
Definition
the distance between crests
Term
what is frequency
Definition
number of cycles per second (mesured in Hertz) 
Term
what is speed
Definition
the distance the wave covers over time 
Term
Light sometimes behave like what 
Definition
particles called photons 
Term
what is quantum mechanic 
Definition
more complicated theory of waves and particles 
Term
what are the types of electromagnetic radiation
Definition

gamma 

x-rays

ultraviolet

visible

infrared

radio waves 

Term
water freezes at 
Definition
273 K 
Term
water boils at 
Definition
373 K 
Term
all molecular motion ceases at
Definition
0K 
Term
what is wien's law 
Definition
gives the wavelength at which maximum power is emitted 
Term
what is energy flux 
Definition
total power emitted per square meter
Term
what is stefan boltzman law 
Definition
the energy flux from a black body at temperature is proportional to the forth power of its absolute temperature 
Term
what are the four terrestrial planets 
Definition
mercury, venus, earth, mars 
Term
what are the characteristics of terrestrial planets 
Definition

relatively small worlds

composed of rock and metal

solid surface

have geological history in the form of craters, mountains, and volcanoes 

Term
what are the Jovian planets 
Definition

4 giant planets 

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune 

Term
characteristics of giant planets 
Definition

much larger than terrestrial planets

composed primarily of lighter ices, liquids and gases

do not have solid surface and the surface is a vast ocean of liquefied gases

Term
what are the smaller members of the solar system 
Definition

satellites

planets rings

asteroids

comets

cosmic dust 

Term
what two planets do not have satellites 
Definition
mercury and venus 
Term
what are comets
Definition
small bodies made of frozen gas and ice, formed and continue to orbit the Sun in distant cooler regions 
Term
what is cosmic dust 
Definition
solar system is filed with countless grains of broken rock and when they collide with Earth they give rise to Meteors and Meteorites 
Term
what are the two largest planets
Definition
jupiter and saturn
Term
what are jupiter and saturn composed of 
Definition

hydrogen and helium 

core is composed of: heavier rock and metal and ice

Term
uranus and neptune are dominated by
Definition
hydrogen and its called chemistry reduced 
Term
Characteristics of terrestrial planets 
Definition
  1. Much smaller than giant planets 
  2. composed mainly of rocks and metals: silicates (silicon and oxygen) but most common is iron
  3. Earth, Venus, Mars: 1/3 composed of iron-nickel or iron-sulfur
  4. Chemistry is said to be oxidized 
  5. Differentiation 
Term
What is differentiation 
Definition
name given to the process by which gravity helps separate a planet's interior into layers of different compositions and densities 
Term
Moons are mostly in 
Definition
the outer solar system 
Term
Earth's moon is like 
Definition
terrestrial planets 
Term
which two planets have experienced the most geological acitivity 
Definition
earth and venus 
Term
how do you measure the ages of rocks
Definition
radioactivity 
Term
what is the half-life
Definition
for a very large number of radiactive atoms of one type there is a specific period, during which the chances are fifity-fifty that decay will occur for any of the nuclei
Term
radioactive atoms can be called
Definition
parents
Term
the decay products 
Definition
daughter elements 
Term
the top layer of the earth is made up of 
Definition
crust 
Term
the crust is mainly made of 
Definition

volcanic rocks basalt which consists of consist primary of the elements silicon, 

oxygen, iron, aluminum, and magnesium

Term
how is the earth's magnetic field generated 
Definition
by movign material in Earth's liquid metalic core 
Term
what is magnetosphere
Definition
zone within which the Earth's magnetic field dominates over the weak interplanetary magnetic field that extends outward from the sun 
Term
what is the solar wind
Definition
the charged particles trapped in the magnetosphere
Term
what is the Van Allen Belts 
Definition
the regions with high energy ions in the magnetosphere  
Term
what is the center of earth
Definition

metallic core 

outside is liquid 

Term
what is the structure of the atmosphere
Definition

troposphere

H20 clouds

stratosphere

mesosphere

ionosphere 

Term
where is the atmosphere mostly concentrated
Definition
troposphere (generates clouds and wind)
Term
Near the top of the stratosphere is a layer of ozone O3..which is 
Definition
heavy form of oxygen with three atoms per molecule 
Term
Earth's surface atmopshere consists of 
Definition

78% of nirtrogen

21% oxygen

1% argon 

Term
which planets are like earth
Definition
venus and mars 
Term
what is the atmosphere like on Venus
Definition
produces high surface temperature and dry
Term
what is venus and mars mainly composed of
Definition
carbon dioxide
Term
jupiter is mainly compsed of
Definition
metallic hydrogen
Term
saturn is mainly composed of
Definition
molecular hydrogen
Term
uranus and neptune is mainly composed of
Definition
ice
Term
what are the parts of the atmosphere
Definition
photosphere, chromosphere, corona
Term
what is the sun mainly composed of
Definition

73% hydrogen

25% helium 

Term
what part of the sun is visible to us
Definition
solar photosphere
Term
the energy generated inside of the sun is in forms of
Definition
photons
Term
quantum mechanic
Definition
the confusion that this wave-particle duality of light caused in physics was eventually resolved by the introduction of a more complicated theory of waves and particles
Term

solar atmosphere changes from

 

Definition
almost perfectly transparent to almost completely opaque
Term
the diameter of the sun is
Definition
the size of the region surrounded by photosphere
Term
the region of the Sun's atmosphere that lies immediately above the photosphere is
Definition
chromosphere
Term
what is the chromosphere composed of
Definition
hot transparent gasses emitting light at discrete wavelengths
Term
the observations of the chromospheric spectrum revealed a yellow emission line that did not correspond to any previously known element on Earth
Definition
Helium
Term
the hottest part of the solar atmosphere is
Definition
corona
Term
the part of the sun where the rapid temperature rise occurs is called the
Definition
transition region
Term
the sun produces a stram of charged particles (protons and electrons)
Definition
solor wind
Term
the solar wind exists because
Definition
the gases int he corona are so hot and moving so rapidly that they cannot be held back by solar gravity
Term
what are auroras
Definition
when particles stirke molecules of air in Earth Atmosphere, they cause them to glow, producing beautiful curtains of light
Term
large dark regions of the corona that are relatively cool and quiet are called
Definition
coronal holes
Term
what happens in the coronal holes
Definition
magnetic field lines stretch far out into space away from the sun, rather than looping back to the surface
Term
what are sunspots
Definition
large dark features seen on the surfcace of the sun
Term
what does the sunspots consists of two parts
Definition

inner darker core: umbra

surrounding less dark region: penumbra

Term
what is the zeeman effect
Definition
solar magnetic field that is measured using a property of atoms
Term
what is the fundamental components of matter
Definition
elementary particles
Term
what is antiparticle
Definition
if the particle carries a charge, the antiparticle has the opposite charge
Term
what is strong nuclear force
Definition
inside the nucleus particles are held together by a very powerful force
Term
what is the binding energy
Definition
the energy given up in bringing the protons and neutrons
Term
what is fusion
Definition
when the light atomic nuclei come together to form a heavier one, mass is lost and energy is released
Term
what is fission
Definition
energy can be also produced by breaking up heavy atomic nuclei into lighter ones down to iron
Term
what is neutrino
Definition
elementary particle very weakly interacting with matter
Term
protons will rebound from other protons int he Sun's crowded core for about 14 billion years at the rate of
Definition
100 million collisions per second, before it fuses with a second proton
Term
how many hydrogen atoms are needed to fuse to form helium
Definition
4
Term
the initial steps required to form one helium nucleus from fou hydrogen nuclei is reaction of two protons making a
Definition
deuterium nucleus
Term
how do form gamma ray photons
Definition
the produced positron is antimatter, thus will collide with a nearby electronand both will be annihilated
Term
what is light year
Definition
the distance that light travels in 1 year
Term
what is the closest star 4LY away
Definition
alpha centauri
Term
what are binary stars
Definition
two stars that orbit each other, bound together by gravity
Term
why do we we see changes in velocity with the stars
Definition
because when one star is moving toward the earth, the other is movign away, half a cycle later the situation is reversed
Term
what does the doppler shift cause
Definition
the spectral lines to move back and forth
Term
when two stars are moving perpendicular to our line of sight what happens
Definition
the two lines are exactly superimposed and so we only see a single spectral line
Term
according to the theoretical calculations, the smallest mass that a true star can have is what
Definition
1/12 that of the sun
Term
what is brown dwarfs
Definition
such objects that are intermediate in mass between stars and planets
Term
what is the death of low-mass stars
Definition
The stars with final mas just before death is less than 1.4 mass of the sun, in a brief period, helium in the core can get hot enough to fuse into carbon and oxygen. But then because there is no source of pressure to balance gravity, it beigs to contract
Term
what is the white dwarf
Definition
the core of star continues to shrink until it reaches a density equal to nearly million times the density of water
Term
what is the matter like in white dwarfs
Definition
since they are more dense than any substance on earth, the matter inside them behaves in a very strange way-unlike anything we known from everyday experience. At this high density, electrons resists being squeezed closer together annd set up a powerful pressure inside the core
Term
the mater in white dwarfs is said to be
Definition
degenerate
Term
a white dwarf with a mass like that of the sun has a diameter about the same as of
Definition
earth
Term
the size of a white dward shrinks as the..
Definition
mass in the star increases
Term

what is the chandrasekhar limit?

 

Definition
the force of the degenerate electrons cannot stop the collapse of a star with more mass than 1.4 solar masses
Term
massive stars becomes hot enough to fuse
Definition
carbon into oxygen, neon and magnesium
Term
products of carbon burning can be further converted to
Definition
silicon, sulfur, calcium, and argon
Term
what is a neutron star
Definition
the upper limit on the mass of stars made only of neutrons is about 3msun
Term
each time an electron and a proton in the star's core merge to make a neutron, the merger releases a
Definition
neutrino
Term
what is a supernova
Definition
the huge, sudden input of energy from neturinos reverses the infall of these layers and drives them explosively outward.
Term
the supernova explosion produces a
Definition
flood of energetic neutrons that barrel through the expanding material. these neutrons can be absorbed by iron and other nuclei where they can turn into protons, thus they build up elements that are more massive than iron
Term
calculations suggest that a supernova less than _ LY away form us would certainly end all life on earth
Definition
50
Term
what is the equivalence principle
Definition
for an observer in an isolated system there is no way to determine if she/he is floating in space or falling freely in a gravitational field
Term
light always follows the _ path between two points
Definition
shortest
Term
einstein suggested that a gravitation fields bends the
Definition
fabric of space and time
Term
according to newton_and_ are separate and independent
Definition
space and time
Term
einstien showed that tere was an intimate connection between space and time and that only by considering...
Definition
the two together (Spacetime) we can have a correct picture of the physical world
Term
what tells spacetime how to curve
Definition
matter
Term
what tells other matter how to move
Definition
the curvature of spacetime
Term
the amount of distortion dpeends on
Definition
the mass involved
Term
which planet is most affected by the distortion of spacetime and why
Definition
Mercury because it orbits closest to the sun
Term
what does the general relativity theory predict
Definition
that due to the curvature of spacetime there should be a tiny addtional push on Mercury, over and above that predicted Newtonian theory, at each perihelion (makes mercury orbit rotate slowly in space)
Term

since spacetime is more curved in regions where the gravitational field is strong, we would expect

 

Definition
light passing very near the sun to appear to follow a curved path
Term
what happens during the total solar eclipse
Definition
much of the sun's light is blocked out allowing the stars near the sun to be photographed
Term
one predictions of general relativity is that the stronger the gravity
Definition
the slower the pace of time
Term
when light enters a region of strong gravity and time slows down, the light experiences
Definition
a change in its frequency and wavelength
Term

If stronger gravity slows down the pace of time, then the rate at which crest follows
crest must slow down-the waves become less
Definition
 frequent
Term

Ultimately, as a star shrinks, the escape velocity would 
Definition
 exceed the speed of light
Term
how is the black hole formed
Definition

As the same mass falls into a smaller sphere, the gravity at the surface goes up,
making it harder for anything to escape from the stellar surface.
Term
what is event horizon
Definition
The star's geometry cut off communication with the rest of the universe precisely at
the  moment when the escape velocity becomes equal to the speed of light. The size of
the star at this moment defines a surface that we call
Term
what is Scharzschild radius.
Definition
The radius of the event horizon
Term
how can the galaxy be observed
Definition
radio and infrared radiation
Term
 what is nuclear bulge
Definition
Close in to the galactic center (within about 12,000 LY), the stars are no longer
confined to the disk but form a
Term
the globular clusters can be found in
Definition
halo
Term
what is the milky way surrounded by
Definition

bubble of hot gas

 

Term

The Galaxy has four major
Definition
spiral arms with some smaller spurs
Term
The Sun is near the inner edge of a short arm or spur called
Definition
Orion arm
Term

This theory for how spiral arms form is called
Definition
spiral density wave model
Term

Our own Galaxy and M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, which is believed to be much like
it, are typical large
Definition
 spiral galaxies
Term
spiral galaxies consists of
Definition
nuclear bulge, a halo, a disk, and spiral arms. Interstellar material
is usually spread throughout the disks of spiral galaxies.
Term
what is the hubble law
Definition

-Found ways to estimate distance of spiral nebulae

-recession velocities of galaxies are directly
proportional to their distances from us

- Hubble’s original velocity–distance relation, adapted from his 1929 paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

- Hubble and Humason’s velocity–distance relation, adapted from their 1931 paper in
The Astrophysical Journal

Term

In a expanding universe we and all other observers, no matter were they are located,
must observe a
Definition
 proportionality between the velocities and distances of remote galaxies
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