Galaxies & Theories Flashcards
What are the 4 fundamental forces from strongest to weakest?
- Strong Nuclear Force
- Electromagnetic Force
- Weak Nuclear Force
- Gravity
Explain the Strong Nuclear Force.
Attractive force between nucleons (protons & neutrons) that keeps each atomic nucleus together.
Range: approximately 10 to the -15m which is about the size of the largest atom.
Explain the Electromagnetic Force.
Attractive and repulsive force involving electric charges and their associated magnetic fields. These are the everyday pushes and pulls.
Range = potentially infinite.
Explain the Weak Nuclear Force
Can change quarks. Quarks make up hadrons such as protons and neutrons. Protons and neutrons have 3 quarks. The weak nuclear force can change neutrons to protons and vice versa causing radioactive decay.
Range = 10 to the negative 18m
Explain gravity (as a force)
Weakest force. Attractive force, warping of space-time. Involves particles receiving mass from interactions with the Higgs Field.
Range = potentially infinite.
Difference between Population 1 and Population 2 stars.
Population 1 are richer in heavier elements - formed in the middle
Population 2- Halo stars and globular clusters, form in outer regions, some metal content
What are the three types of galaxies?
Elliptical, Spiral and Irregular.
Explain irregular galaxies:
Smaller Highly irregular in shape Rich in gas and dust 1% - 25% the mass of our galaxy Low luminosity Hard to detect
Explain Elliptical Galaxies:
Small mass (few hundred stars) to enormous “titans” (trillions of stars)
No disk or arms
Little or no gas or dust
Older population 2 stars
60% of galaxies are elliptical.
Greatest variation of mass - 0.01 to 10 times the mass of the Milky Way
Explain Spiral Galaxies:
Uniform size Distinct spiral arms and disk Mixture of population 1 and 2 stars Mixture of gas and dust Smaller than Milky Way - some are 4-5 times bigger and 10 times brighter.
How big is a Planck Length?
10 to the -35m
How big is a Quark and what us a similar size?
10 to the -17m & Gluons which holds quarks together
How big is a nucleus?
10 to the -14m
How big is the Earth?
10 to the 8m
How big is the solar system?
10 to the 13m
How big is our spiral arm?
10 to the 20m
How big is the Virgo Cluster
10 to the 23m
How big is the visible universe?
10 to the 26m
What came before the Big Bang?
Nothing. Time and space began with it.
How hot and dense is the Universe?
Infinite density and temperature but with a finite past.
What happens as the Universe expands?
It cools down.
What happened at 10 to the -35 seconds?
Cosmic inflation occurred
The Universe grew exponentially.
Then it consisted of elementary particles.
What was the Annihilation phase of the Big Bang?
Anti-matter and matter were being constantly created and destroyed in collisions.
When did Quarks and Gluons form protons and neutrons?
10 to the -6 seconds.
What happened after a few minutes into the Big Bang?
Temperature at about a billion Kelvin, forming the first nuclei of elements.
When were atoms formed? Complete with electrons?
379,000 years after the Big Bang. Radiation then separated from matter and continued travelling through space. This radiation = cosmic microwave background radiation.