Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course List)
14th Edition
ISBN: 9781305960961
Author: Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Chapter 20, Problem 1LTL
The star cluster shown in the image in Figure UN 20-3 contains cool red giants and main-sequence stars from hot blue stars all the way down to red dwarfs. Discuss the likelihood that planets orbiting any of these stars might be home to life. (Hint: Estimate the age of the cluster.)
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Suppose that stars were born at random times over the last 10e10 years. The rate ofstar formation is simply the number of stars divided by 10e10 years. The fraction ofstars with detected extrasolar planets is at least 9 %. The rate of star formation can bemultiplied by this fraction to find the rate planet formation. How often (in years) doesa planetary system form in our galaxy? Assume the Milky Way contains 7 × 10e11 stars.
I've done this problem 3 different times from scratch and looked at similar problems here. Each time my answer is 1.587 (1.59 rounded to 2 significant figures), but when I submit, it says the answer is wrong. What do you think?
In a globular cluster, astronomers (someday) discover a star with the same mass as our Sun, but consisting entirely of hydrogen and helium. Is this star a good place to point our SETI antennas and search for radio signals from an advanced civilization?
Group of answer choices
No, because such a star (and any planets around it) would not have the heavier elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc.) that we believe are necessary to start life as we know it.
Yes, because globular clusters are among the closest star clusters to us, so that they would be easy to search for radio signals.
Yes, because we have already found radio signals from another civilization living near a star in a globular cluster.
No, because such a star would most likely not have a stable (main-sequence) stage that is long enough for a technological civilization to develop.
Yes, because such a star is probably old and a technological civilization will have had a long time to evolve and develop there.
Explain pre main sequence evolution, early post main sequence evolution and advanced evolutionary stages.
Chapter 20 Solutions
Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course List)
Ch. 20 - If life is based on information, what is that...Ch. 20 - How does the DNA molecule produce a copy of...Ch. 20 - What would happen to a life-form if the genetic...Ch. 20 - What would happen to a life-form if the...Ch. 20 - Give an example of natural selection acting on new...Ch. 20 - Prob. 6RQCh. 20 - Why do scientists generality think that liquid...Ch. 20 - Prob. 8RQCh. 20 - What is the significance of the Miller-Urey...Ch. 20 - Prob. 10RQ
Ch. 20 - Prob. 11RQCh. 20 - Why is it reasonable to suspect that travel...Ch. 20 - How does the stability of technological...Ch. 20 - Prob. 14RQCh. 20 - Prob. 15RQCh. 20 - Prob. 16RQCh. 20 - How Do We know? Why are scientists confident that...Ch. 20 - Do you expect that hypothetical alien recipients...Ch. 20 - Prob. 2DQCh. 20 - Prob. 3DQCh. 20 - A single human cell encloses about 1.5 m of DNA,...Ch. 20 - If you represent Earth’s history by a line 1 m...Ch. 20 - Prob. 3PCh. 20 - If a star must remain on the main sequence for at...Ch. 20 - Prob. 5PCh. 20 - Prob. 6PCh. 20 - Prob. 7PCh. 20 - Calculate the numb of communicative civilizations...Ch. 20 - The star cluster shown in the image in Figure UN...Ch. 20 - Prob. 2LTL
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- If you could search for life in the galaxy shown in this image, would you look among stars in the disk, in the central bulge, in the halo, or in all of those places? Discuss the factors that influence your decision.arrow_forwardSuppose no stars more massive than about 2 MSunhad ever formed. Would life as we know it have been able to develop? Why or why not?arrow_forwardIf a star must remain on the main sequence for at least 4 billion years for life to evolve to intelligence, what is the most massive a star that can form and still possibly harbor intelligent life on one of its exoplanets? (Hints: Use the formula for stellar life expectancies, Eq. 121, and data in Appendix Table A-7.)arrow_forward
- The star cluster shown in this image contains a few red giants as well as main-sequence stars ranging from spectral type B to M. Discuss the likelihood that exoplanets orbiting any of these stars might be home to life. (Hint: Estimate the age of the cluster.)arrow_forwardWhy have we learned a lot about star formation since the invention of detectors sensitive to infrared radiation?arrow_forwardAs a cluster of stars begins to age, which type of star in the cluster will move off the main sequence of the H-R diagram first? 1) all the stars in a cluster are born at the same time; so they will all move off the main sequence at the same time, as they evolve 2) G type stars, like our Sun 3) M type stars, which are the coolest 4) the lowest mass stars, which have the least amount of fuel for fusion 5) the O and B type starsarrow_forward
- For each problem, use the following values: c = 3x108 m/s mass of the sun = 1.989 x 1030 kg luminosity of the sun = 3.828 x 1026 W 1 AU = 1.496 x 1011 m 1 pc = 3.262 light years = 3.086 x 1016 m 1 year=3.154x107 seconds Critical density of our Universe (expressed as a mass density): Pcrit =8.7 x 10-27 kg m-³ Critical energy density of our Universe: Ecrit = Pcrit c² G=6.674 × 10-11 m³.kg-1.s-2 1 eV = 1.60218 x10-19. Boltzmann constant: kg = 1.381 x 10-23 JK-18.617 × 10-5eV K-1 energy density constant (in Stefan Boltzmann Law): a = 7.566 x 10-16 Jm-3 K-4 -4.7 x 10-³ MeV m-3 K-4 Constant in Wein displacement law: b = 2.898 x 10-3 m K baryon-to-photon ratio, n = 6 x 10-10arrow_forwardIf all the stars in a cluster have nearly the same age, why are clusters useful in studying evolutionary effects (different stages in the lives of stars)?arrow_forwardWhy are upper-main-sequence (high-luminosity) host stars unlikely sites for intelligent civilizations?arrow_forward
- Observations suggest that it takes more than 3 million years for the dust to begin clearing out of the inner regions of the disks surrounding protostars. Suppose this is the minimum time required to form a planet. Would you expect to find a planet around a 10-MSunstar? (Refer to Figure 21.12.) Figure 21.12 Evolutionary Tracks for Contracting Protostars. Tracks are plotted on the HR diagram to show how stars of different masses change during the early parts of their lives. The number next to each dark point on a track is the rough number of years it takes an embryo star to reach that stage (the numbers are the result of computer models and are therefore not well known). Note that the surface temperature (K) on the horizontal axis increases toward the left. You can see that the more mass a star has, the shorter time it takes to go through each stage. Stars above the dashed line are typically still surrounded by infalling material and are hidden by it.arrow_forwardWhy is star formation more likely to occur in cold molecular clouds than in regions where the temperature of the interstellar medium is several hundred thousand degrees?arrow_forwardDescribe T-Tauri stars and Herbig–Haro objects. In what phase do they occur in the lifespan of a star?arrow_forward
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