final Flashcards
what planet properties can be found - radial velocity
min mass, period, semi-major axis, eccentricity
what planet properties can be found - transit
radius of planet, period, semi-major axis, inclination
what planet properties can be found - microlensing
mass of planet, star-planet separation
what planet properties can be found - direct imaging
period, semi-major axis, eccentricity, temperature of planet, spectrum of planet, mass of planet
what planets they work best with - radial velocity
massive planets, close to the star
what planets they work best with - transit
large (size wise) planets, CLOSE TO STAR
what planets they work best with - microlensing
massive planets, far away from their host star, free floating planets
what planets they work best with - direct imaging
far away from host star, long period, hot, large (radius) planet, also young
Kepler’s first law
The orbit of a planet is an ellipse with the Sun at one of the two foci.
Kepler’s second law
A line segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time
Kepler’s third law
The square of the orbital period of a planet is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit
Gravitational equilibrium
energy supplied by fusion maintains the pressure that balances the inward crush of gravity
describe Hertzsprung-Russel diagram
surface temp (x) vs luminosity (y). shows starts from the “main sequence” and there lifetimes
nuclear fission vs nuclear fusion
fission: split nucleus into smaller pieces (think nuclear power plants)
fusion: small nuclei stick together to make a bigger one (like the sun and stars)
suppose the mass of the star were less, would luminosity:
A) higher, B) same, C) less
less. less mass -> less matter pressing down on the center due to gravity, which means less pressure at the core -> lower rate of fusion
What happens when the star runs out of fuel?
Contracts then expands
the two fundamental forces at play in atomic nuclei
electrical forces (protons have the same charge so they repel each other) Strong force (protons and neutrons stick together when very close like velcro)
What is a start cluster and what is the significance
All stars formed at roughly the same time, all have the same age
helium fusion
with enough pressure and heat, helium will fuse into carbon
why are they called “planetary nebula” if they are stars
The center of the nebula, the contracted core of the former red giant, is about the size of the earth
that core is hot and dense (mass of the sun in the side of the earth) - think white dwarf
how do supergiants form
fusions of higher atomic number elements i.e. iron to silicone to O, NE, magnesium to carbon to helium to hydrogen to nonfusing hydrogen
what’s a supernova
. The brilliant point of light is the explosion of a star that has reached the end of its life, otherwise known as a supernova
if a supernova remnant, or planetary nebula has interacts with the cloud….what’ll happen?
it can set off a star formation! the fusion products in stars are recycled into new stars
how does a cloud collapse
when gravity overcomes pressure