Defense And Energy Flashcards
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3
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What are Distributed Energy Resources (DERs)?
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Small-scale units of local electricity generation or storage connected to the grid at the distribution level, typically near the point of use.
4
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Give examples of DERs.
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Battery storage, biomass generators, fuel cells, rooftop solar photovoltaic units.
5
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What is Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH)?
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A type of hydroelectric energy storage using two reservoirs at different elevations to store energy as gravitational potential energy, used for load balancing in power systems.
6
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How does PSH operate?
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Uses surplus off-peak power to pump water from a lower to a higher reservoir; releases water through turbines to generate electricity during high demand.
7
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Is PSH typically a net energy consumer or producer?
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Net consumer due to pumping losses, but profitable by selling electricity during peak price periods.
8
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What are key characteristics of fifth-generation fighter aircraft?
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Advanced features like stealth, supercruise (supersonic flight without afterburners), advanced avionics, and highly integrated computer systems.
9
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Is India’s Tejas Mk-1 a fifth-generation fighter?
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No, it is considered a 4.5th generation fighter aircraft.
10
Q
Why do giant stars have shorter lifespans than dwarf stars?
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They have a greater rate of nuclear reactions and use up their core hydrogen fuel faster.
11
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What is the primary energy source for a red giant star?
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Fusion of hydrogen into helium occurring in a shell surrounding a hot, dense degenerate helium core.
12
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What are Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) used for in space exploration?
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Providing reliable electrical power for spacecraft systems, especially for deep space missions where solar power is inadequate.
13
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How do RTGs generate electricity?
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They use heat from the natural radioactive decay of materials like plutonium-238, applying the temperature difference across solid-state thermocouples to generate current without moving parts.
14
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Are RTGs a type of nuclear fission reactor?
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No, they utilize heat from radioactive decay, not nuclear fission.
15
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What are Cepheid variable stars used for in astronomy?
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As “cosmic yardsticks” to measure distances to galaxies up to tens of millions of light-years away, due to their periodic brightening and dimming behavior.
16
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What is a nebula?
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A giant cloud of dust and gas in space.
17
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What are the two main origins of nebulae?
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- Gas and dust ejected by a dying star (e.g., supernova). 2. Regions where new stars are beginning to form (“star nurseries”).
18
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How are pulsars formed?
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When massive stars (4-8 times the Sun’s mass) exhaust their nuclear fuel and collapse under gravity.
19
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Name the four operational Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).
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GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (EU), BeiDou (China).
20
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Name the two operational Regional Navigation Satellite Systems mentioned.
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QZSS (Japan) and IRNSS/NavIC (India).
21
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What is the key difference in propulsion between cruise missiles and ballistic missiles?
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Cruise missiles are jet-propelled throughout their flight (usually subsonic), while ballistic missiles are only rocket-powered initially before following a ballistic trajectory.
22
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Is India’s Agni-V a cruise missile or a ballistic missile?
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A three-stage solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile.
23
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Is India’s BrahMos a cruise missile or a ballistic missile?
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A medium-range Ramjet Supersonic Cruise Missile.
24
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Where is the world’s largest solar park located?
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Bhadla Solar Park, Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, India.
25
Which airport was the world's first to run fully on solar power?
Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) in Kerala, India.
26
Where did BHEL commission India's largest Floating Solar PV plant?
At NTPC Simhadri in Andhra Pradesh.
27
What causes solar flares?
A sudden release of magnetic energy built up in the Sun's atmosphere, linked to the ~11-year solar cycle.
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What are Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)?
Violent solar explosions that propel bursts of particles and electromagnetic fluctuations into space.
29
List potential impacts of CMEs on Earth and space technology.
Disrupt power grids (blowing transformers), disrupt satellite electronics, induce geomagnetic storms (causing auroras), disrupt shortwave radio communications.
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Can solar flares directly cause tsunamis or widespread forest fires on Earth?
No.
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What is a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS)?
A warhead delivery system that uses a missile launched into a low Earth orbit, which then de-orbits shortly before reaching its target.
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What is a key advantage of the FOBS delivery method?
The flight path does not reveal the target location until very late in the trajectory.
34
Which nation first developed FOBS and when?
The Soviet Union developed it as a nuclear-weapons delivery system in the 1960s.
35
Which spacecraft is the only one to have visited Uranus and Neptune?
Voyager 2.
36
Which NASA spacecraft was the first to explore Pluto up close?
New Horizons.
37
What was the purpose of the LISA Pathfinder mission?
It was an ESA mission to successfully test the technology needed for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).
38
What is the scientific goal of the eLISA (Evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission?
To explore the Gravitational Universe from space for the first time, using three spacecraft flying in a triangular formation to detect gravitational waves.
39
Which ministry notified the "National Policy on Biofuels 2018" in India?
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas [cite: none specified directly, but implied by superseding the 2009 policy].
40
How does the 2018 Biofuels policy categorize biofuels?
Into "Basic Biofuels" (1st Gen ethanol & biodiesel) and "Advanced Biofuels" (2nd Gen ethanol, MSW to fuels, 3rd Gen biofuels, bio-CNG etc.).
41
List some raw materials permitted for ethanol production under the 2018 Biofuels Policy.
Sugarcane Juice, Sugar Beet, Sweet Sorghum, Corn, Cassava, Damaged/Rotten food grains (wheat, rice), Rotten Potatoes.
42
Can solar power be used to run both surface pumps and submersible pumps?
Yes.
43
Can solar power be used to run both centrifugal pumps and piston pumps?
Yes.
44
Why are some of India's operational nuclear reactors placed under IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards?
Because they use imported uranium as fuel.
45
What does placing a reactor under IAEA safeguards imply?
It gives the IAEA, the international nuclear energy watchdog, access to monitor the facility.
46
When and why did India place these reactors under IAEA safeguards?
In 2014, to demonstrate that its nuclear energy programme was for peaceful purposes.
47
What event produced gravitational wave signals detected by LIGO and Virgo in 2019?
A collision between two black holes billions of years ago.
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What cosmic events can generate gravitational waves?
Merging black holes, merging neutron stars, supernovae (exploding stars), and two large stars orbiting each other.
49
What effect do gravitational waves have on objects in their path?
They squeeze and stretch spacetime and anything within it as they travel at the speed of light.
50
What is the structure of the IRNSS/NavIC satellite constellation?
Seven satellites: three in geostationary orbit and four in geosynchronous orbits.
51
What is the primary service area coverage of IRNSS/NavIC?
India and the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary.
52
What is the purpose of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)?
It is a multilateral export control regime aiming to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment, and technology usable for nuclear weapons.
53
Does membership in the NSG automatically mean membership in the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty)?
No [cite: none specific].
54
What type of satellites does ISRO's PSLV primarily launch?
Earth-observation or remote-sensing satellites.
55
What type of orbit does PSLV typically deliver these satellites to?
Sun-Synchronous circular polar orbits (Low Earth Orbit - LEO) at 600-900 km altitude.
56
What type of satellites does ISRO's GSLV primarily launch?
Communication satellites.
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What type of orbit does GSLV typically deliver these satellites to?
Highly elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
58
Why do satellites launched by GSLV appear fixed in the sky from Earth?
Because they are placed in geosynchronous orbits.
59
What are the stages of India's GSLV MkIII launch vehicle?
Three stages: two solid strap-on motors (S200), a liquid core stage (L110), and a high-thrust cryogenic upper stage (C25).
60
What is THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense)?
An American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to intercept short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase.
61
How does THAAD destroy incoming missiles?
Using hit-to-kill technology, destroying the target with kinetic energy.
62
What is the 'event horizon' in the context of a black hole?
The boundary around a black hole beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape.
63
What is a 'singularity' in spacetime?
A region where the density of matter or the curvature of spacetime becomes infinite, and standard concepts of space and time break down.
64
What is the basic idea behind String Theory?
That reality is made up of infinitesimal vibrating strings, and their vibrations produce effects perceived as particles and forces like gravity.
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Which fundamental forces does the Standard Model of particle physics explain, and which does it not adequately explain?
Explains electromagnetism, the strong force, and the weak force; does not adequately explain gravity.
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In what context are terms like 'Event Horizon', 'Singularity', 'String Theory', and 'Standard Model' often seen?
In the context of the observation and understanding of the Universe.
68
What is the eLISA (Evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission designed to detect?
Gravitational waves, particularly those from orbiting supermassive black holes.
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How does eLISA plan to detect these waves?
By using three spacecraft flying millions of miles apart in a triangular formation, relaying laser beams between them to measure spacetime distortions caused by gravitational waves.
70
Which ministry launched India's Standards & Labeling Program for energy efficiency in 2006?
Ministry of Power.
71
Which agency implements the Standards & Labeling Program in India?
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
72
Give examples of appliances covered under the mandatory star labeling program in India.
Room AC, Ceiling Fan, TV, Refrigerator, Electric Geyser, Computer, Tubular fluorescent lamps, Distribution Transformer, Industrial Motor, Domestic Gas Stove etc.
73
What is ASTROSAT?
India's first dedicated multi-wavelength space astronomy observatory, launched in 2015 into a 650-km near-equatorial orbit.
74
Was India the third country after USA and Russia to launch a space observatory like ASTROSAT?
No, Japan and Europe had also launched similar missions.
75
What was the main objective of India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called Mangalyaan?
To study the Martian surface features, mineralogy, morphology, and atmosphere using indigenous scientific instruments.
76
What unique achievement did India secure with the Mangalyaan mission?
India became the only country to successfully place a spacecraft in Mars orbit on its very first attempt.
77
What is 'net metering' in the context of solar energy?
A mechanism allowing consumers/households generating solar power to export surplus electricity back to the grid and be billed for the net energy consumed.
78
What is INS Astradharani?
The Indian Navy's first indigenously-designed and built torpedo launch and recovery vessel, commissioned in 2015.
79
What is unique about INS Astradharani's construction?
It's a twin-hulled warship and was the first to be built at a private shipyard with armament fixtures.
80
What is 'Greased Lightning' or GL-10, tested by NASA?
A battery-powered, 10-engine experimental aircraft that can take off and land vertically like a helicopter but fly efficiently like a conventional airplane.
81
What is the 'Goldilocks Zone'?
The habitable zone around a star where the temperature is suitable for liquid water to potentially exist on a planet's surface.
82
What are the byproducts when a fuel cell operates using pure hydrogen?
Only heat and water; there are no harmful emissions.
83
Can fuel cells operate only at small scales like powering phones?
No, fuel cell technology is scalable from small devices up to megawatt-scale power plants capable of powering tens of thousands of homes.
84
What type of electrical current do fuel cells produce?
Direct Current (DC).
85
What was the primary purpose of India's IRS (Indian Remote Sensing) satellite series?
Optical imaging to support the national economy in areas like agriculture, water resources, forestry, geology, disaster management, etc.
86
Are IRS satellites used for telecommunications or traffic monitoring?
No.
87
What was the primary target of the Cassini-Huygens mission?
To study the planet Saturn and its system (rings, moons).
88
What was the primary target of the MESSENGER mission?
To map and investigate the planet Mercury.
89
What was the primary target of the Voyager 1 and 2 missions?
To explore the outer solar system, initially focusing on Jupiter and Saturn.
90
What type of missile is India's Agni-IV?
A surface-to-surface, nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile.
91
What type of propellant does the Agni-IV missile use?
Solid propellant only, in two stages.
92
What is the difference between Coalbed Methane (CBM) and Shale Gas?
Both contain methane, but CBM is extracted from coal seams, while shale gas is extracted from fine-grained sedimentary rocks (shale).
93
Does India have significant commercial production of shale gas?
No, while potential resources exist, exploration and production are in early stages, and no major commercial production has been established yet.
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95
How does Earth's magnetic field protect life on the surface?
It diverts most harmful, high-speed electrically charged particles from space towards the poles, preventing them from reaching the surface.
96
What phenomenon occurs when charged particles from space reach Earth's upper atmosphere near the poles?
Auroras (Northern and Southern Lights).
97
What are two key pieces of evidence cited by scientists for the continued expansion of the universe?
1. Detection of cosmic microwave background radiation. 2. Observation of the redshift phenomenon in space.
98
Where is thorium primarily obtained from in India?
Monazite and ilmenite found in the beach sands along the coasts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
99
How does thorium compare to uranium in terms of natural abundance and energy generation potential per unit mass?
Thorium is about four times more abundant than uranium and can generate approximately 30 times more energy per unit of mass.
100
How does the waste produced from thorium compare to that from uranium?
Thorium produces less harmful waste compared to uranium.
101
What is the function of a moderator (like heavy water) in a nuclear reactor?
To slow down the fast neutrons produced during fission, allowing the nuclear chain reaction to be sustained.
102
What is a geostationary orbit?
A circular geosynchronous orbit approximately 35,786 km above the Earth's equator, where a satellite's orbital period matches Earth's rotation, making it appear stationary from the ground.
103
What are satellites in geostationary orbit commonly used for?
Telecommunications and meteorology, as they remain fixed over one particular location.
104
What were the main objectives of India's OceanSat-2 satellite?
To study ocean parameters like surface winds, ocean strata, chlorophyll concentration, phytoplankton blooms, atmospheric aerosols, suspended sediments, and water vapour content.
105
What is ISRO's Bhuvan?
A geoportal launched in 2009 providing detailed 2D and 3D satellite imagery (up to 1m resolution) and information (terrain, water resources) for Indian locations.
106
What is the Chandrasekhar limit?
The maximum mass (~1.44 times the Sun's mass) a stable white dwarf star can have when supported only by electron degeneracy pressure.
107
What is the likely fate of a star ending its life with a mass greater than the Chandrasekhar limit?
It must collapse to become either a neutron star or a black hole.
108
What chemicals are typically used as electrolytes in a common dry cell battery?
Ammonium chloride and/or Zinc chloride.
109
What was the purpose of the Moon Impact Probe (MIP) released by Chandrayaan-1?
To explore the lunar surface closely during descent and test technologies for future soft-landing missions.
110
What type of missile is India's Shaurya missile?
A hypersonic (Mach 7.5) surface-to-surface ballistic missile; the land variant of the submarine-launched K-15 missile.
111
What type of propellant does the Shaurya missile use?
Solid propellant, in a two-stage configuration.
112
What is BRIT (Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology)?
An industrial unit of India's Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) involved in developing and supplying radioisotope-based products and services.
113
What is the HAL Dhruv?
A multi-role utility helicopter designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for military and civil operations.
114
What is a key difference between how jet engines and rocket engines obtain oxygen for combustion?
Jet engines take in oxygen from the surrounding air, while rockets carry their own oxidizer along with fuel.
115
What was the Cassini-Huygens space mission?
A collaborative mission by NASA, ESA, and ASI to study the planet Saturn and its system (rings and moons) using the Cassini orbiter and Huygens probe.
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What is the ITER project?
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, an international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject located in France.
118
What is the main aim of the ITER project?
To demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear fusion as a clean, green, and potentially unlimited source of energy.
119
Which country/agency launched the KAGUYA (SELENE) lunar orbiter in 2007?
Japan (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and JAXA - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).
120
What were the major objectives of the KAGUYA mission?
To understand the Moon's origin and evolution, and to observe the Moon for potential future utilization.
121
What type of missile is the Barak missile?
An Israeli-developed surface-to-air missile (SAM) used primarily as a ship-borne point-defense system.
122
Which countries jointly developed and produced the Barak missile system?
India and Israel.
123
Why do we always see the same face of the Moon from Earth?
Because the Moon's period of rotation on its axis is exactly the same as its period of revolution around the Earth (approximately 27 days).
124
What was the objective of NASA's Deep Impact space probe?
To study the interior composition of the comet Tempel 1 [cite: none].
125
What is the Galileo system?
A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) created by the European Union (EU) and the European Space Agency (ESA) providing position, navigation, and timing (PNT) services.
126
Why can human life not exist on Venus?
Due to its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere causing an extreme greenhouse effect, leading to very high average surface temperatures (around 470°C), and a very dense atmosphere.
127
What is the approximate altitude of a geostationary orbit?
Very close to 35,786 km (about 22,236 miles) above the Earth's equator.
128
In radio broadcasting, which modulation technique (AM or FM) is generally better suited for music and why?
FM (Frequency Modulation) is better suited due to its higher bandwidth range (30 Hz to 15 kHz), allowing for higher fidelity sound.
129
How is a nuclear chain reaction initiated and sustained in a typical nuclear reactor?
A neutron hits a uranium atom, causing it to fission into smaller atoms and release more neutrons. These new neutrons then hit other uranium atoms, causing them to fission and release even more neutrons, continuing the process.
130
What is the role of control rods (often made of silver or boron) in a nuclear reactor?
They absorb neutrons to control the rate of the nuclear chain reaction, allowing it to be accelerated, slowed, or shut down.
131
Are all neutrons released during fission used to continue the chain reaction?
No, some are absorbed by control rods or moderators to control the reaction rate, and some may escape the reactor core altogether.
132
What defines a black hole?
A region in space where gravity is so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape.
133
Why is the gravity of a black hole so strong?
Because a large amount of matter has been squeezed into an extremely tiny space, often resulting from the death of a massive star.
134
Since black holes are invisible, how are they detected?
By observing their gravitational effects on nearby stars and gas, often using space telescopes with specialized instruments that can see how these nearby objects behave differently.
