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 9, Problem 1DQ
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Example of everyday life that causes light to become dimmer or redder. How does that compare to the cause of extinction and reddening in the interstellar medium?
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(a) Rank the following components of the interstellar medium in order of the wavelengths at which they are observed, longest wavelength first: clouds of neutral hydrogen, coronal gas, interstellar dust, nebulae. Longest to Shortest?
(b) Rank the same material in order of decreasing temperature from hottest to coolest. Hottest to Coolest?
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.
Chapter 9 Solutions
Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course List)
Ch. 9 - Prob. 1RQCh. 9 - Why evidence can you cite that the interstellar...Ch. 9 - Prob. 3RQCh. 9 - Prob. 4RQCh. 9 - Prob. 5RQCh. 9 - Prob. 6RQCh. 9 - Prob. 7RQCh. 9 - Prob. 8RQCh. 9 - Prob. 9RQCh. 9 - Prob. 10RQ
Ch. 9 - Prob. 11RQCh. 9 - Prob. 12RQCh. 9 - How does the CNO cycle differ from the...Ch. 9 - Prob. 14RQCh. 9 - Step-by-step, explain how energy flows from the...Ch. 9 - Prob. 16RQCh. 9 - Prob. 17RQCh. 9 - Prob. 18RQCh. 9 - Prob. 19RQCh. 9 - Prob. 20RQCh. 9 - Prob. 1DQCh. 9 - What is your favorite home-cooked meal? In terms...Ch. 9 - Prob. 3DQCh. 9 - How does hydrostatic equilibrium relate to hot-air...Ch. 9 - Prob. 1PCh. 9 - Prob. 2PCh. 9 - Prob. 3PCh. 9 - Prob. 4PCh. 9 - Prob. 5PCh. 9 - Prob. 6PCh. 9 - Prob. 7PCh. 9 - Prob. 8PCh. 9 - Prob. 9PCh. 9 - Prob. 10PCh. 9 - If a protostellar disk is 200 AU in radius and the...Ch. 9 - Prob. 12PCh. 9 - Prob. 13PCh. 9 - Prob. 14PCh. 9 - H much energy is produced when the CNO cycle...Ch. 9 - Prob. 16PCh. 9 - Prob. 1LTLCh. 9 - Prob. 2LTL
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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_forwardConsider 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_forward
- How would the density inside a cold cloud (T=10K) compare with the density of the ultra-hot interstellar gas (T=106K) if they were in pressure equilibrium? (It takes a large cloud to be able to shield its interior from heating so that it can be at such a low temperature.) (Hint: In pressure equilibrium, the two regions must have nT equal, where n is the number of particles per unit volume and T is the temperature.) Which region do you think is more suitable for the creation of new stars? Why?arrow_forwardWhere does interstellar dust come from? How does it form?arrow_forwardWe have said repeatedly that blue light undergoes more extinction than red light, which is true for visible and shorter wavelengths. Is the same true for X-rays? Look at Figure 20.19. The most dust is in the galactic plane in the middle of the image, and the red color in the image corresponds to the reddest (lowestenergy) light. Based on what you see in the galactic plane, are X-rays experiencing more extinction at redder or bluer colors? You might consider comparing Figure 20.19 to Figure 20.14. Figure 20.14 Barnard 68 in Infrared. In this image, we see Barnard 68, the same object shown in Figure 20.9. The difference is that, in the previous image, the blue, green, and red channels showed light in the visible (or very nearly visible) part of the spectrum. In this image, the red color shows radiation emitted in the infrared at a wavelength of 2.2 microns. Interstellar extinction is much smaller at infrared than at visible wavelengths, so the stars behind the cloud become visible in the infrared channel. (credit: ESO) Figure 20.19 Sky in X-Rays. This image, made by the ROSAT satellite, shows the whole sky in X-rays as seen from Earth. Different colors indicate different X-ray energies: red is 0.25 kiloelectron volts, green is 0.75 kiloelectron volts, and blue is 1.5 kiloelectron volts. The image is oriented so the plane of the Galaxy runs across the middle of the image. The ubiquitous red color, which does not disappear completely even in the galactic plane, is evidence for a source of X-rays all around the Sun. (credit: modification of work by NASA)arrow_forward
- How 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_forwardSuppose 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?arrow_forwardIn 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.arrow_forward
- Explain why interstellar molecules are best observed at radio wavelengths.arrow_forwardSuppose that stars were born at random times over the last 1010 years. The rate of star formation is simply the number of stars divided by 1010 years. The fraction of stars with detected extrasolar planets is at least 11 %. The rate of star formation can be multiplied by this fraction to find the rate planet formation. How often (in years) does a planetary system form in our galaxy? Assume the Milky Way contains 3 × 1011 stars.arrow_forwardLet’s say you’re looking for extrasolar planets. You observe a star that has a spectral shift in the line that is supposed to be at at 656.28011 nm – this star shows this line at 656.28005 nm. What is the radial velocity of star (in m/s) and in what direction in relation to you? a) 27.4 m/s, towards b) 27.4 km/s, away c) -27.4 m/s, toward d) -27.4 km/s, awayarrow_forward
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