Chapter 1: The Earth in Context Slide Set 2 Flashcards
Explain the Doppler Effect in terms of universe
Light from sources moving away from us will be “redshifted” (shifted to lower frequency and longer wavelength).
Light from sources moving towards us will be “blueshifted” (shifted to higher frequency and shorter wavelength).
How do we know that the universe is expanding?
Light from distant galaxies is redshifted, therefore they are moving away from us (Edwin Hubble)
How do we estimate the distance of the galaxies?
Distance of galaxies is estimated from brightness and size.
How do we estimate the distance of galaxies from brightness?
Light takes time to travel from far away objects in space to us on Earth. How far we can see is correlated with how far back in time we can see.
What do we mean when we say a planet is … light years away?
we are seeing the light 13 billion years after it left the star
Explain the Big Bang theory?
- All matter and energy condensed into an infinitesimally small point that appeared 13.8 billion years ago (we don’t know how)
- At first, it was very hot (~1027 K), expanding very quickly (inflation - from the size of an atom to the size of a galaxy in 10-32 seconds), and cooling
What happened in the first 10ˆ-10 seconds after the Big Bang?
Quarks – the subatomic particles that form atoms, most of which are annihilated when they collide with each other.
What happened in the first 10ˆ-5 seconds after the Big Bang?
Quarks bond to form protons (+ charged, = Hydrogen nuclei), neutrons (neutral charge) and electrons (- charged); in these hot, high pressure conditions, positive and negative particles annihilate each other when they collide
What happened in the first 3 minutes after the Big Bang?
nucleosynthesis – fusing of Hydrogen nuclei (i.e. protons) to form Helium, (and other light elements). Hydrogen and helium were essentially the only elements present in the early Universe, and remain to this day, the most abundant elements in the Universe.
What happened in the first 380,000 years after the Big Bang?
For atoms (with electrons joined to protons and neutrons) to form, the universe needs to cool and expand more
What happened 380,000 years after the Big Bang?
- Negatively charged electrons attached to positively charged protons.
- Matter suddenly becomes electrically neutral, and the earliest light in the Universe is emitted (cosmic microwave background - CMB).
- Atoms and molecules coalesced into gaseous nebulae.
What is CMB (Cosmic Microwave Background)?
background energy coming from everywhere in the Universe from when matter went from ionized (+ protons and – electrons are separate, matter full of charge) to electrically neutral.
How do we get heavier elements than H and He?
We need to increase the number of protons in the nucleus, which requires a lot of heat. (e.g., to overcome the electrical repulsion exerted by one proton over another)
Universe has cooled down a lot but so how do we get the energy to get heavier elements than H and He?
Star formation
Explain the process of star formation
- Gravity caused collapse of gaseous nebulae, building up heat, pressure, energetic collisions of atoms
- Enough energy for Hydrogen fusion (or “hydrogen burning”). Fusion releases energy at the center of the star, which pushes outwards, resisting gravity and preventing the star from collapsing.
- Added energy from hydrogen fusion provides enough energy for Helium fusion, which provides enough energy for Carbon fusion, …. Etc.
How come the stars don’t collapse during formation?
Fusion releases energy at the center of the star, which pushes outwards, resisting gravity and preventing the star from collapsing
What are the burning layers of a star? From exterior to interior
H burning He burning C burning Ne burning O burning Si burning Fe-Ni burning
Explain the process of star destruction (supernova)
- Silicon (Si) fusion creates iron (Fe) at the center of the star. Fe fusion absorbs energy rather than releasing energy like the fusion of lighter elements, so the push outwards to balance gravity is reduced
- Gravity wins! Star collapses.
- Supernova Explosion! Enough energy to create heavier elements.
- The process repeats, making more heavier elements….
Where do elements come from?
- First-generation stars left a legacy of heavier elements.
- Second-generation stars repeated heavy element genesis.
- Succeeding generations contain more heavy elements.
- The sun may be a third-, fourth-, or fifth-generation star.
The mix of elements found on Earth include: ______
- Primordial gas from the Big Bang.
- The disgorged contents of exploded stars
What is the hypothesis behind the solar system evolution?
Forming the solar system, according to the nebula hypothesis:
A second- or third-generation nebula forms from hydrogen and helium left over from the big bang, as well as from heavier elements that were produced by fusion reactions in stars or during explosion of star
How did the solar system form?
- The nebula condenses into a swirling disc, with a central ball surrounded by rings
- The ball at the center grows dense and hot enough for fusion to begin (> 5x106oC). It becomes the Sun. Dust (solid particles) condenses in the rings
- The nature of the matter condensed depends on temperature. At distance of Earth from Sun, temperature ~1500 oC. Iron (melting point 1538 oC), and olivine ((Fe,Mg)2SiO4; melting point 1500 – 1700oC) condense. At distance of Jupiter, water ice (melting point 0 oC) and ammonia (melting point -78oC) condense, and at distance of Neptune, methane (melting point – 182 oC) condenses.
- Dust particles collide and stick together, forming planetesimals
How did the Earth form?
- Planetesimals grow by continuous collisions.
- Gradually a proto-Earth develops
- Gravity reshapes the proto-Earth into a sphere.
- The Interior heats up (from collisions, high pressure, radioactive decay) and becomes soft.
- The interior differentiates into:
- A central iron-rich core (heavy)
- A rocky outer shell—a mantle (lighter)
How did the moon form?
Soon after Earth forms, a small planet collides with it, blasting debris that forms a ring around the Earth.
The Moon forms from the ring of debris