Universe: Stars And Galaxies
6th Edition
ISBN: 9781319115098
Author: Roger Freedman, Robert Geller, William J. Kaufmann
Publisher: W. H. Freeman
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Chapter 8, Problem 3Q
To determine
The interstellar medium and how does it becomes enriched over time with heavy elements.
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What evidence can you cite that the interstellar medium contains both gas and dust? (Select all that apply.)
(1)The dust of the interstellar medium can be detected from the emission lines of elements heavier than iron.
(2)The dust of the interstellar medium can be detected by the extinction of light from distant stars.
(3)The dust of the interstellar medium can be detected by the scattering of blue light from distant or embedded objects.
(4)The gas of the interstellar medium can be detected from the radiation of ultraviolet photons.
(5)The gas of the interstellar medium can be detected from the radiation of photons of wavelength 21 cm.
(6)The gas of the interstellar medium can be detected from the absorption lines present in the light from distant stars, which must be caused by a medium of a density and temperature other than that of the stars emitting the light.
Based on what you know about observations of the interstellar medium at wavelengths other than for visible light, select all of the correct statements from the following list.
-The 21-cm radio observations are of neutral hydrogen.
-Much interstellar dust between stars is not visible.
-The source of hot gas observed at X-ray wavelengths is not known.
-All interstellar material is cool.
-Interstellar dust is observed at ultraviolet wavelengths.
-Giant molecular clouds consist mostly of CO molecules.
-Material observed at wavelengths longer than that of visible light is usually cool.
Absorption lines produced by interstellar gas
a.
are wider than the lines from stars because the gas is hotter than most stars.
b.
are more narrow than the lines from stars because the gas has a lower pressure than stars.
c.
indicate that the interstellar medium contains dust.
d.
indicate that the interstellar medium is expanding away from the sun.
e.
indicate nothing; none of the above statements are true.
Chapter 8 Solutions
Universe: Stars And Galaxies
Ch. 8 - Prob. 1QCh. 8 - Prob. 2QCh. 8 - Prob. 3QCh. 8 - Prob. 4QCh. 8 - Prob. 5QCh. 8 - Prob. 6QCh. 8 - Prob. 7QCh. 8 - Prob. 8QCh. 8 - Prob. 9QCh. 8 - Prob. 10Q
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- The mass of the interstellar medium is determined by a balance between sources (which add mass) and sinks (which remove it). Make a table listing the major sources and sinks, and briefly explain each one.arrow_forwardA molecular cloud is about 1000 times denser than the average of the interstellar medium. Let’s compare this difference in densities to something more familiar. Air has a density of about 1 kg/m3, so something 1000 times denser than air would have a density of about 1000 kg/m3. How does this compare to the typical density of water? Of granite? (You can find figures for these densities on the internet.) Is the density difference between a molecular cloud and the interstellar medium larger or smaller than the density difference between air and water or granite?arrow_forwardPrepare a table listing the different ways in which dust and gas can be detected in interstellar space.arrow_forward
- Consider a grain of sand that contains 1 mg of oxygen (a typical amount for a medium-sized sand grain, since sand is mostly SiO2). How many oxygen atoms does the grain contain? What is the radius of the sphere you would have to spread them out over if you wanted them to have the same density as the interstellar medium, about 1 atom per cm3? You can look up the mass of an oxygen atom.arrow_forwardDescribe how the 21-cm line of hydrogen is formed. Why is this line such an important tool for understanding the interstellar medium?arrow_forwardSuppose that you gathered a ball of interstellar gas that was equal to the size of Earth (a radius of about 6000 km). If this gas has a density of 1 hydrogen atom per cm3, typical of the interstellar medium, how would its mass compare to the mass of a bowling ball (5 or 6 kg)? How about if it had the typical density of the Local Bubble, about 0.01 atoms per cm3? The volume of a sphere is V=(4/3)R3 .arrow_forward
- Which of the following statements is/are true regarding a nebula? Which of the following statements is/are true regarding a nebula? It is believed that each planet in our solar system began as its own nebula. Over time, a nebula becomes cooler and grows in size. The density of a nebula is greatest at the edges and least in the center. There are no nebulas left in our galaxy because they have all formed stars and planets. Over time, a star will form at the center of a nebula.arrow_forwardHow are giant molecular clouds (GMCs), the loci of most star formation, themselves formed out of diffuse interstellar gas? What processes determine the distribution of physical conditions within star-forming regions, and why does star formation occur in only a small fraction of the available gas? How is the rate at which stars form determined by the properties of the natal GMC or, on a larger scale, of the interstellar medium (ISM) in a galaxy? What determines the mass distribution of forming stars, the initial mass function (IMF)? Most stars form in clusters (Lada & Lada 2003); how do stars form in such a dense environment and in the presence of enormous radiative and mechanical feedback from other YSOs?arrow_forwardA typical dense core of an interstellar gas cloud has a diameter of 0.2 pc and a mass of 2 solar masses. What is the average density (in kg/m3) of this cloud core? kg/m3 Could this cloud core float on water (?w = 1,000 kg/m3)? -Yes -Noarrow_forward
- Some interstellar Properties. Use excel calculator to fill in the missing figures. 1 ly = 365 × 24 × 60 × 60 × 300, 000km/s = 9.46 × 10^12 kmarrow_forwarddescribe the characteristics of the various kinds of interstellar gas (HII regions, neutral hydrogen clouds, ultra-hot gas clouds, and molecular clouds).arrow_forwardRadio maps of our galaxy show spiral arms because a. the arms have larger Doppler shifts. b. the gas in the spiral arms is very hot. c. the dust in spiral arms is denser. d. the gas in spiral arms is denser. e. the stars in the spiral arms emit most of their energy at radio wavelengths.arrow_forward
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