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21st Century Astronomy The Solar System Fifth Edition By Kay -Palen -Test Bank
Learning Objectives
Short Answer: 16
Multiple Choice: 1, 2
Short Answer: 4, 5, 11
Compare and contrast the design, construction, and optical characteristics of reflecting and
refracting telescopes.
Short Answer: 1, 2, 7, 8, 10
Short Answer: 3, 6
Relate the optical properties of the human eye to film or a CCD camera.
Explain why photographic plates and CCD cameras are important tools of astronomy.
Compare and contrast the practical utility of observing on the ground and from space for
different wavelengths.
Summarize the challenges and simplifications of observing in wavelengths other than optical.
Short Answer: 24
Summarize reasons why spacecraft are needed to explore the solar system.
Evaluate the cost and benefit of different kinds of spacecraft (flyby, orbiter, lander, probe).
Establish why other tools (particle accelerators and detectors, supercomputers) are important to
astronomy.
Short Answer: 29
Short Answer: 30
MULTIPLE CHOICE
MSC: Remembering
The planet Venus goes through phases similar to those of the Moon.
MSC: Remembering
MSC: Remembering
Red light is refracted by a larger amount than blue light, and different types of glass have
different indexes of refraction.
Blue light is refracted by a larger amount than red light, and different types of glass have
different indexes of refraction.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Compare and contrast the design, construction, and optical characteristics of reflecting
and refracting telescopes.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Compare and contrast the design, construction, and optical characteristics of reflecting and
refracting telescopes.
spherical
parabolic
convex
hyperbolic
cylindrical
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Compare and contrast the design, construction, and optical characteristics of reflecting and
refracting telescopes.
A beam of light passes from air to water at an incident angle of 40°, relative to a plane
perpendicular to the boundary between the two. At what angle will it emerge into the water,
relative to a plane perpendicular to the boundary?
exactly 40°
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Illustrate the processes of reflection and refraction.
reflection
refraction
magnification
diffraction
interference
MSC: Applying
reflection
refraction
magnification
diffraction
interference
MSC: Applying
30 arcseconds (arcsec).
1 arcminutes (arcmin).
10 arcsec.
1 arcsec.
30 arcmin.
MSC: Remembering
Cameras that use adaptive optics provide higher spatial resolution images primarily because
they capture infrared light, which has a longer wavelength than visible light.
deformable mirrors are used to correct the blurring due to Earth’s atmosphere.
MSC: Understanding
According to the law of reflection, if a beam of light strikes a flat mirror at an angle of 30°
relative to a plane perpendicular to the surface of the mirror, at what angle will it reflect, relative
to a plane perpendicular to the surface of the mirror?
0°
30°
60°
90°
120°
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Illustrate the processes of reflection and refraction.
A prism is able to spread white light out into a spectrum of colors based on the property of
reflection.
refraction.
magnification.
resolution.
aberration.
MSC: Understanding
reflection
chromatic aberration
diffraction
magnification
interference
MSC: Applying
MSC: Understanding
As a beam of light travels from one medium to another, the change in direction of the beam of
light depends on
MSC: Understanding
Why do reflecting telescopes usually have a secondary mirror in addition to a primary mirror?
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Compare and contrast the design, construction, and optical characteristics of reflecting and
refracting telescopes.
light-gathering power.
focal length.
MSC: Remembering
An object sits infinitely far away from a parabolic mirror. At what distance from the mirror will
its image be created?
No image will be created (the beams would be reflected parallel to each other).
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Compare and contrast the design, construction, and optical characteristics of reflecting and
refracting telescopes.
reflection
interference
dispersion
diffraction
magnification
MSC: Remembering
MSC: Applying
In practice, the smallest angular size that one can resolve with a 10-inch telescope is governed by
the
MSC: Remembering
MSC: Remembering
cornea
lens
pupil
iris
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Relate the optical properties of the human eye to film or a CCD camera.
Before charge-coupled devices (CCDs) were invented, what was the device most commonly
used for imaging with optical telescopes?
Polaroid cameras
35-mm film
high-speed film
video cameras
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Explain why photographic plates and CCD cameras are important tools of astronomy.
The major advantage CCDs have over other imaging techniques is that
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Explain why photographic plates and CCD cameras are important tools of astronomy.
Why do astronomers use monochromatic CCDs instead of color CCDs like your cell phone
does?
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Explain why photographic plates and CCD cameras are important tools of astronomy.
Why can you see fainter stars with an 8-inch telescope than you can see with your naked eye?
The telescope collects light over a larger area.
The telescope collects light over a wider range of wavelengths than your eye.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Relate the optical properties of the human eye to film or a CCD camera.
A diffraction grating is
typically made from glass with many closely spaced lines engraved in it.
a prism.
a grism.
a spectrograph.
MSC: Remembering
A spectrograph is
typically made from glass with many closely spaced lines engraved in it.
a radio telescope.
a visible-light telescope.
ANS: C DIF: Medium REF: Section 6.2
MSC: Remembering
Most modern spectrographs use a _________ to disperse the light from an object.
spherical mirror
lens
glass prism
diffraction grating
parabolic mirror
MSC: Remembering
What property of light allows a grating to disperse the light from an object into a spectrum?
interference
reflection
refraction
aberration
magnification
MSC: Understanding
the integration time is much shorter with the use of photographic plates.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Explain why photographic plates and CCD cameras are important tools of astronomy.
You are observing the Andromeda Galaxy using both photographic plates and a CCD. If you
double the exposure time for both detectors, you
double the amount of light collected on both the photographic plate and the CCD.
double the amount of light collected on the photographic plate, but the CCD collects less.
double the amount of light collected on the photographic plate, but the CCD collects more.
collect less than twice the amount of light on both the photographic plate and the CCD.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Explain why photographic plates and CCD cameras are important tools of astronomy.
OBJ: Relate the optical properties of the human eye to film or a CCD camera.
Typically, video is shot using 24 to 30 frames per second (one frame each 33 to 42 ms). If a
filmmaker shot new experimental video at 100 frames per second (one frame each 10 ms), how
would it look during playback to the human eye if played at 100 frames per second?
It would look like the video was about the same as normal video.
It would look like the video was being played back in slow motion.
It would look like a slideshow, a series of pictures on the screen each for a perceptible amount of
time.
It would look like the video was about the same speed as normal video, but blurry.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Relate the optical properties of the human eye to film or a CCD camera.
Arrays of radio telescopes can produce much better resolution than single-dish telescopes
because they work based on the principle of
reflection.
refraction.
dispersion.
diffraction.
interference.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Summarize the challenges and simplifications of observing in wavelengths other than
optical.,
An atmospheric window is
a giant glass dome.
ultraviolet.
X-rays.
MSC: Remembering
The Jansky is a unit used to measure the strength of which type of source?
X-ray
ultraviolet
visible
infrared
radio
MSC: Remembering
10
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: Section 6.3
MSC: Remembering
Which of the following is the best location for an infrared telescope on the ground?
at sea level
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Explain when and why it is advantageous or necessary to place telescopes in space.
the CCD.
photoelectric tubes.
photographic plates.
35-mm film.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Explain why photographic plates and CCD cameras are important tools of astronomy.
You hear a news story about an X-ray telescope being built on Earth. You know this can’t be
possible because
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Compare and contrast the practical utility of observing on the ground and from space for
different wavelengths.
Astronomers can use ground-based telescopes to observe in the majority of which of the
following parts of the electromagnetic spectrum?
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Compare and contrast the practical utility of observing on the ground and from space for
different wavelengths.
radio
infrared
visible
ultraviolet
X-ray
OBJ: Explain when and why it is advantageous or necessary to place telescopes in space.
NASA’s Kuiper Airborne Observatory and the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared
Astronomy (SOFIA) are two examples of telescopes placed in high-flying aircraft. Why would
astronomers put telescopes in airplanes?
to get the telescopes above the majority of the water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere
to be able to observe one object for more than 24 hours without stopping
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Summarize the challenges and simplifications of observing in wavelengths other than
optical.
Astronomers have to wait until the telescopes come back to Earth to get their images.
Space telescopes can only observe in certain parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Space telescopes don’t last long before they fall back to Earth.
Space telescopes are much more expensive than similar ground-based telescopes.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Summarize the challenges and simplifications of observing in wavelengths other than
optical.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Explain when and why it is advantageous or necessary to place telescopes in space.
Ultraviolet radiation with wavelengths shorter than about 200 nm are hard to observe primarily
because
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Compare and contrast the practical utility of observing on the ground and from space for
different wavelengths.
thunderstorms.
Earth.
Jupiter.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Summarize the challenges and simplifications of observing in wavelengths other than
optical.
Samples of which celestial object(s) have been brought back to Earth to be studied in detail?
a comet
an asteroid
the Moon
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Evaluate the cost and benefit of different kinds of spacecraft (flyby, orbiter, lander, probe).
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Summarize reasons why spacecraft are needed to explore the solar system.
The Voyager 1 spacecraft is currently 18 billion km from Earth and heading out of our Solar
System. How long does it take radio messages from Voyager 1 to reach us?
1.7 days
17 hours
17 days
17 weeks
17 minutes
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize reasons why spacecraft are needed to explore the solar system.
Landers, rovers, and/or atmospheric probes have visited which object(s) listed below in an effort
to gain new information about our Solar System?
Jupiter
Mars
Eros, an asteroid
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Evaluate the cost and benefit of different kinds of spacecraft (flyby, orbiter, lander, probe).
In 2008, the Cassini spacecraft made a flyby of Enceladus, one of the icy moons of Saturn. If the
spacecraft’s high-resolution camera had an angular resolution of 3 arcsec and it flew at an
altitude of 23 km above Enceladus’s surface, how large an object could be resolved on the
surface?
3m
30 cm
30 km
5 cm
50 m
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize reasons why spacecraft are needed to explore the solar system.
Particle accelerators that smash atoms or particles together at high speeds, such as the Large
Hadron Collider (LHC), are important tools used for simulating conditions in
red giants.
planetary nebula.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Establish why other tools (particle accelerators and detectors, supercomputers) are
important to astronomy.
X-rays
visible light
infrared light
neutrinos
ultraviolet light
OBJ: Establish why other tools (particle accelerators and detectors, supercomputers) are
important to astronomy.
What type of waves have not yet been directly detected by astronomers?
sound waves
gravitational waves
X-ray waves
gamma-ray waves
pressure waves
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Establish why other tools (particle accelerators and detectors, supercomputers) are
important to astronomy.
Telescopes and satellites such as Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), Wilkinson Microwave
Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), and Planck are designed to detect microwave radiation emitted by
galaxies.
black holes.
planets.
stars.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Establish why other tools (particle accelerators and detectors, supercomputers) are
important to astronomy.
High-speed computers have become one of an astronomer’s most important tools. Which of the
following does not require the use of a high-speed computer?
analyzing images taken with very large CCDs
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Establish why other tools (particle accelerators and detectors, supercomputers) are
important to astronomy.
Neutrino detectors typically capture one out of every _________ neutrinos that pass through
them.
10
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Establish why other tools (particle accelerators and detectors, supercomputers) are
important to astronomy.
The magnification of a telescope depends on the focal length of the telescope and
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Compute the magnification and light-collecting areas of different optical systems.
Which telescope would collect 100 times more light than a 1-m telescope?
100-m telescope
80-m telescope
50-m telescope
30-m telescope
10-m telescope
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Compute the magnification and light-collecting areas of different optical systems.
When we determine the angular resolution of an interferometric array of radio telescopes using
the formula θ ∝ λ/D, the variable D stands for the
number of telescopes.
MSC: Understanding
chromatic aberration
refraction
magnification
interference
MSC: Understanding
The diffraction limit of a 4-m telescope is _________ than that of a 2-m telescope.
MSC: Applying
Grote Reber conducted the first radio survey of the sky in the 1930s and 1940s with his 9-m-
diameter radio telescope. Why did his telescope need to be so large?
He needed a large light-collecting area because radio sources are notoriously dim.
He needed better angular resolution to identify sources because radio waves are so long.
He needed a higher magnification to identify sources because radio sources are quite small.
He needed a longer focal length because radio sources are so far away.
He needed a shorter focal length because radio sources are so far away.
ANS: B DIF: Medium REF: Working It Out 6.2
MSC: Applying
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project’s Allen Telescope Array will have 350
radio dishes, each with an individual diameter of 6 m, spread out over a circle whose diameter is
1 km. What would this array’s spatial resolution be when it operates at 6,000 MHz?
10 arcsec
0.10 arcsec
1 arcsec
10 arcmin
1.0 arcmin
MSC: Applying
The two Keck 10-m telescopes, separated by a distance of 85 m, can operate as an optical
interferometer. What is its resolution when it observes in the infrared at a wavelength of 2
microns?
0.01 arcsec
0.005 arcsec
0.4 arcsec
0.06 arcsec
0.2 arcsec
MSC: Applying
41 arcmin
6.8 arcmin
4.1 arcmin
6.8 arcsec
4.1 arcsec
MSC: Applying
SHORT ANSWER
ANS: The larger the refracting telescope, the heavier the lens. If the lens is too massive, it will
sag under the force of gravity and the image will be distorted.
OBJ: Compare and contrast the design, construction, and optical characteristics of reflecting and
refracting telescopes.
ANS: The purpose of a telescope is to redirect parallel beams of light from a distant object to
converge at a point. A flat mirror would simply redirect them all at the same angle; therefore,
they would still travel parallel to each other. A curved mirror reflects the different rays through
different angles, so that they all converge at a common focal point.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Compare and contrast the design, construction, and optical characteristics of reflecting and
refracting telescopes.
Explain why stars twinkle when viewed from the ground. Would they twinkle if they were
viewed from outer space?
ANS: Slight differences in air temperature cause density differences in the air which change
optical densities. This causes light to refract slightly as it passes through different temperature
regions. Atmospheric turbulence causes these regions to move over time, so two different beams
of light will take slightly different paths over time. This causes a shimmering of objects viewed
through Earth’s atmosphere. For telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope, which lie above
Earth’s atmosphere, this does not occur.
When a ray of light passes from vacuum into a material, what is the speed of light inside the
material?
ANS: The speed of light in vacuum is always c. However, in a medium it is always lower by v =
c/n, where n is the index of refraction of the material, and v is the speed of light in the medium.
A ray of light is incident on a flat mirror at an angle of 15° degrees from the vertical, what is the
angle of reflection, so the angle of reflection is also 15 degrees from the vertical.
MSC: Remembering
ANS: Slight perturbances in the atmosphere can degrade the resolution of an image. Adaptive
optics can measure these perturbances and correct for them before the light is imaged by
bouncing it off a deformable mirror.
ANS: Chromatic aberration occurs because refractors suffer dispersion caused the fact that the
index of refraction of the lens depends on the wavelength of light going through it. As a result,
different wavelengths of light will focus at different distances from a lens. Because the law of
reflection holds for any wavelength, mirrors focus all wavelengths of light to the same focal
point.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Compare and contrast the design, construction, and optical characteristics of reflecting and
refracting telescopes.
Label the eyepiece, lens, focus, and focal length of the telescope shown in the figure below.
ANS: This telescope is a refracting telescope. A student should label the eyepiece as the lens
near the eye, the focus at the point where the light rays cross, the lens as the piece that initially
bends the light from the stars, and the focal length as the distance between the lens and the focus.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Compare and contrast the design, construction, and optical characteristics of reflecting and
refracting telescopes.
ANS: They are similar because both gather electromagnetic energy, and they both have similar
angular resolutions.
MSC: Remembering
Label the eyepiece, primary mirror, secondary mirror, focus, and focal length of the telescope
shown in the figure below.
ANS: This telescope is a reflecting telescope. A student should label the eyepiece as the lens
near the eye, the focus at the point where the light rays cross, the primary mirror as the curved
piece that initially reflects the light from the stars, the secondary mirror as the flat piece that
reflects the light from the primary mirror to the eyepiece, and the focal length as the distance
between the primary mirror and the focus. (NOTE: In this case, the focal length is not measured
in a straight line!)
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Compare and contrast the design, construction, and optical characteristics of reflecting and
refracting telescopes.
ANS: When white light is refracted by a prism, the path of the light is bent, twice. The amount of
this bending (angle of refraction) is determined by (1) the index of refraction of the prism’s
material, (2) the angle of incidence, and (3) the wavelength of the light (blue light is refracted
more than red light in the same medium).
In 2009, the Cassini spacecraft made repeated orbits around Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. If this
spacecraft orbited at an altitude of 1,000 km above Titan’s surface and its high-resolution camera
had an angular resolution of 3 arcsec, how large an object could be resolved on Titan’s surface?
ANS: The small angle approximation says θ = 206,265 arcsec × D/d, where θ is the angular
resolution of the camera, D is the diameter of the smallest resolvable surface feature on Titan,
and d is the altitude of the spacecraft. Therefore, the smallest resolvable surface feature on Titan
is D = (θ/206,265 arcsec) × d = (3 arcsec/206,265 arcsec) × 106 m = 15 m.
Calculate the resolution of an interferometric array consisting of five 10-m radio telescopes, each
located 1,000 m apart from each other and observing a distant object at a wavelength of 21 cm.
ANS: θ = 2.06 × 105 × (l/D), where l = wavelength and D = dish separation. θ = 2.06 × 105 ×
(0.21 m/ 1000 m) arcsec = 43 arcsec.
ANS: The angular resolution of the 1-m, ground-based telescope is limited by the atmosphere to
be approximately 1 arcsec. The angular resolution of the radio dish is given by its diffraction
limit, which is θ = 2.06 × 105 × (21 cm/[300 × 12 in × 2.54 cm/1 in.]) arcsec = 473 arcsec.
Therefore, the angular resolution of the optical telescope is about 500 times smaller than that of
the radio telescope.
ANS: These are possible answers: (1) they have much higher quantum efficiency (~80 percent);
(2) their photometric response is linearly proportional to the number of photons they collect; (3)
they yield output in digital format; (4) they cover a wide spectral range (optical through near-
infrared).
OBJ: Relate the optical properties of the human eye to film or a CCD camera.
ANS: Quantum efficiency determines how many responses occur for each photon received. A
larger response to a photon means that a detector is more sensitive and can see fainter sources of
light.
MSC: Remembering
When you look at the side of a CD where the data are stored, why do you observe a rainbow?
ANS: The closely spaced tracks of the CD act like a diffraction grating and disperse the light into
its spectrum.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Distinguish between imaging and spectroscopy.
Why is it difficult to view low-surface-brightness, such as the Andromeda Galaxy, with the
naked eye? Does the view improve with the use of a telescope? What is needed to get a bright,
clear view of the Andromeda Galaxy, as commonly seen in pictures?
ANS: The human eye has a low integration time. Using a telescope may increase the light-
collecting area, but low surface brightness objects will still look dim. In order to get bright, clear
images of such objects, photographic plates or CCDs must be used. With these detectors, the
integration time can be increased, allowing more light to be collected for one image.
OBJ: Relate the optical properties of the human eye to film or a CCD camera.
ANS: A spectrograph takes light from a telescope and disperses it into its constituent
wavelengths with a prism or grating. The resulting spectrum is recorded (modern spectrographs
use a CCD).
Explain the difference between dispersion and diffraction. How can both phenomena be used to
create a spectrum?
ANS: Dispersion is the wavelength dependence in refraction. Because blue light refracts more
than red light, any white light that is refracted through a medium is dispersed into its spectral
colors. Diffraction is distortion of a wavefront as it passes the edge of an opaque object. This is
also wavelength dependent and can create a spectrum as white light passes through a pair of (or
many) narrow slits. The resulting pattern is a mix of constructive and destructive interference
patterns. Each wavelength will have its first maxima at a different location along the viewing
screen, therefore showing a full spectrum.
Where is the best place to put a ground-based optical telescope? Discuss the reasons for your
selection.
ANS: Mountaintops away from cities and in dry climates. This location gets your telescope away
from light-pollution, as high above the atmosphere and water vapor as Earth’s surface can get.
Also, finding a location that fits these requirements near the equator means you will be able to
view the entire sky over the course of the year.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Compare and contrast the practical utility of observing on the ground and from space for
different wavelengths.
Name two reasons why astronomers might use a space telescope over a ground-based telescope.
ANS: (1) To observe at wavelengths other than visible and radio waves; (2) to avoid dealing with
atmospheric distortion; (3) to avoid light-pollution on Earth; (4) to avoid weather on Earth.
OBJ: Compare and contrast the practical utility of observing on the ground and from space for
different wavelengths.
ANS: Building and launching a telescope into space is much more costly than building one on
Earth. Also, the majority of space-based telescopes cannot be repaired when something breaks or
updated as new technology becomes available.
OBJ: Compare and contrast the practical utility of observing on the ground and from space for
different wavelengths.
Why does combining the light from smaller telescopes give observation results comparable to
those of a single large telescope with a diameter equal to the separation of the two smaller
telescopes?
ANS: An interferometric array will have the same angular resolution as a single-dish telescope
with a diameter equal to the baseline separation of the individual telescopes in the interferometric
array. However, it does not have the same light gathering power as a single larger telescope.
OBJ: Summarize the challenges and simplifications of observing in wavelengths other than
optical.
Discuss two advantages of flyby missions over orbiters in exploring planets and moons in the
solar system.
ANS: First, flyby missions are relatively inexpensive and are the easiest missions to design and
execute. Second, they can visit several different planets and moons during their travels.
DIF: Easy REF: Section 6.4 MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Evaluate the cost and benefit of different kinds of spacecraft (flyby, orbiter, lander, probe).
What are some advantages and disadvantages of using landers to explore the solar system?
ANS: Advantages are many. Landers allow us to study things that remote sensing cannot, for
example, the composition of surfaces and the atmosphere. Some disadvantage are the cost,
limited landing sites, and the applicability of the mission results limited to the landing site. It is
impossible to study the planet or moon on a large scale.
OBJ: Evaluate the cost and benefit of different kinds of spacecraft (flyby, orbiter, lander, probe).
What are gravitational waves? Have astronomers been able to detect them yet?
ANS: Gravitational waves are disturbances in a gravitational field. Astronomers have yet to
detect them but have strong theoretical evidence that suggests they exist.
OBJ: Establish why other tools (particle accelerators and detectors, supercomputers) are
important to astronomy.
Discuss two tools that modern astronomers use to explore the cosmos that are different from
traditional optical telescopes and give an example of how and why each is used.
ANS: These are possible answers: (1) radio telescopes— to record radio waves and, in
interferometric arrays, to increase spatial resolution compared to single-dish radio telescopes; (2)
adaptive optics—to obtain higher spatial resolution images by correcting for the blurring due to
Earth’s atmosphere; (3) space-based telescopes—placed in orbit around Earth, provide high
spatial resolution images because they are outside the blurring effects of Earth’s atmosphere; (4)
airborne or high-flying observatories—can go outside Earth’s atmosphere and detect
wavelengths of light such as infrared or microwave, which are absorbed by molecules in Earth’s
atmosphere and do not reach the ground; (5) spacecraft—orbiters and landers can provide images
with much better spatial resolution than Earth-based observations, and landers can physically
probe the conditions on a planet’s or moon’s surface; (6) particle accelerators—smash atoms or
particles together with high energy in order to explore their constituents and probe physical
conditions similar to those of the early universe; (7) neutrino detectors—used to probe neutrinos
emitted by astronomical objects, including the Sun; (8) gravitational wave detectors—measure
gravitational waves in order to study changing gravitational fields such as those produced by
merging binary stars; (9) high-speed computers—used to make predictions of complex physical
processes, such as star formation or the evolution of the universe, that can be compared with
observations to test theories.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Establish why other tools (particle accelerators and detectors, supercomputers) are
important to astronomy.
How much larger is the light-gathering power of a 10-inch telescope than the human eye?
ANS: Light-gathering power is proportional to the area of the aperture, which is proportional to
the square of the diameter of the aperture. Thus, the light-gathering power of a 10-inch telescope
is X times greater than your eye, where X = (10 in. × 2.54 cm/1 in.)2/(6 mm)2 = 645.
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Compute the magnification and light-collecting areas of different optical systems.
What is the diffraction limit of a 4-m telescope observing at a wavelength of 650 nm?
Learning Objectives
Short Answer: 4
Multiple Choice: 5
Short Answer: 1, 2
Describe how astronomers and geologists arrived at the same conclusions about Earth’s origins
from different pieces of evidence.
Multiple Choice: 3
Short Answer: 3
Short Answer: 7
Illustrate how accretion disks transfer angular momentum so that stars and planets can collapse.
Short Answer: 5, 6
Multiple Choice: 6, 7
7.3 The Inner Disk and Outer Disk Formed at Different Temperatures
Use conservation of energy to argue why material falling on an accretion disk heats the disk up.
Multiple Choice: 22
Short Answer: 8
Relate the temperature of an accretion disk to the presence of different types of materials (e.g.
refractory, volatile, organic, ice) within the disk.
Short Answer: 14
Show how temperature differences in our accretion disk led to the formation of terrestrial and
giant planets.
Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Multiple Choice: 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65
Short Answer: 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29
Describe how planetary migration accounts for hot Jupiters being located very close to their host
stars.
Short Answer: 27
Working It Out 7.1
Short Answer: 30
Estimate the size of a planet by considering how much of its parent star’s light it occults.
Multiple Choice: 70
MULTIPLE CHOICE
What is a protostar?
a hot star
a large ball of gas not yet hot enough at its core to be a star
MSC: Remembering
What is a meteorite?
a fireball
a volcanic rock
an iron-rich rock
MSC: Remembering
What have astronomers and geologists studied to arrive at the same conclusions about Earth’s
origins?
comets
meteorites
the Moon
the oceans
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Describe how astronomers and geologists arrived at the same conclusions about Earth’s
origins from different pieces of evidence.
The icy planetesimals that remain in the solar system today are called
asteroids.
moons.
meteorites.
comet nuclei.
MSC: Remembering
The material from which the planets formed was swirling about the Sun in the same average
rotational direction.
The first objects to form started out small and grew in size over time.
The initial composition of the solar nebula varied between its inner and outer regions.
MSC: Remembering
The smallest grains of dust stick together in an accretion disk by which force?
gravitational force
electrostatic force
magnetic force
strong force
MSC: Remembering
In order for two clumps of dust to stick together in an accretion disk, they must collide at roughly
100 m/s.
10 m/s.
1 m/s.
0.5 m/s.
MSC: Remembering
What is a planetesimal?
MSC: Remembering
According to the conservation of angular momentum, if an ice-skater who is spinning with her
arms out wide slowly pulls them close to her body, this will cause her to . . .
spin faster.
spin slower.
fall down.
MSC: Understanding
50 percent
25 percent
10 percent
5 percent
< 1 percent
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Illustrate how accretion disks transfer angular momentum so that stars and planets can
collapse.
In the figure shown below, the direction of the disk’s rotation is indicated. What is the direction
of the protostellar Sun’s rotation?
impossible to tell
MSC: Understanding
Consider the figure shown below. At which point in time does the collapsing cloud have the
greatest angular momentum?
3
1 and 2, because the protostar has not yet formed
The cloud has the same angular momentum at each point in time.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Illustrate how accretion disks transfer angular momentum so that stars and planets can
collapse.
The fact that Jupiter’s radius is contracting at a rate of 1 mm per year results in
MSC: Applying
If a collapsing interstellar cloud formed only a protostar without an accretion disk around it, what
would happen?
The forming protostar would be significantly less massive than it would have been otherwise.
The forming protostar would be rotating too fast to hold itself together.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Illustrate how accretion disks transfer angular momentum so that stars and planets can
collapse.
mostly at the poles that lie along the cloud’s axis of rotation.
to a complete stop.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Illustrate how accretion disks transfer angular momentum so that stars and planets can
collapse.
MSC: Remembering
MSC: Remembering
Consider four spheres of equal mass and size. Which has the most potential energy?
MSC: Applying
The atmosphere of which of these Solar System bodies is primary, as opposed to secondary, in
origin?
Venus
Earth
Saturn
Mars
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Compare and contrast primary and secondary atmospheres.
MSC: Remembering
When you push your palms together and rub them back and forth, you are demonstrating one
way of converting _________ energy into _________ energy.
potential; thermal
kinetic; potential
thermal; kinetic
kinetic; thermal
potential; total
MSC: Applying
metal.
silicate.
ice.
rock.
refractory material.
MSC: Remembering
Based on the figure shown below, which planet(s) is(are) most likely to have the largest fraction
of its(their) mass made of highly volatile materials such as methane and ammonia?
Earth
Saturn
Jupiter
Uranus
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Relate the temperature of an accretion disk to the presence of different types of materials
(e.g., refractory, volatile, organic, ice) within the disk.
What happens to the kinetic energy of gas as it falls toward and eventually hits the accretion disk
surrounding a protostar?
It is converted into potential energy as the gas plows through the disk and comes out the other
side.
It becomes the kinetic energy of the orbit of the gas in the accretion disk around the protostar.
OBJ: Use conservation of energy to argue why material falling on an accretion disk heats the
disk up.
how much radiation from the forming star shines on the gas
a combination of A, B, and C
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Use conservation of energy to argue why material falling on an accretion disk heats the
disk up.
its mass.
its temperature.
a combination of A, B, and C
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Relate the temperature of an accretion disk to the presence of different types of materials
(e.g., refractory, volatile, organic, ice) within the disk.
Mercury
Jupiter
Venus
both A and B
both A and C
MSC: Remembering
Mercury
Jupiter
Venus
both A and B
both A and C
MSC: Remembering
a captured asteroid
a captured comet
MSC: Remembering
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Show how temperature differences in our accretion disk led to the formation of terrestrial
and giant planets.
Why do the outer giant planets have massive gaseous atmospheres of hydrogen and helium
whereas the inner planets do not?
These gases were more abundant in the outer regions of the accretion disk where the outer
planets formed.
The outer planets grew massive quickly enough to gravitationally hold on to these gases before
the solar wind dispersed the accretion disk.
Frequent early collisions by comets with the inner planets caused most of their original
atmospheres to dissipate.
MSC: Understanding
MSC: Remembering
MSC: Applying
What prevented the Moon from maintaining any atmosphere with which it originally formed?
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Describe how planetesimals become planets.
Which of the following is not considered evidence of cataclysmic impacts in the history of our
Solar System?
Valles Marineris on Mars is a huge scar, many times deeper than the Grand Canyon, which spans
one-fourth the circumference of the planet.
Mercury has a crust that has buckled on the opposite side of an impact crater.
Mimas has a crater whose diameter is roughly one-third of the Moon’s size.
Mercury, Earth’s Moon, and many other small bodies are covered with many impact craters.
MSC: Remembering
The difference in composition between the giant planets and the terrestrial planets is most likely
caused by the fact that
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Show how temperature differences in our accretion disk led to the formation of terrestrial
and giant planets.
Two competing models of the formation of giant gaseous planets suggest they form either from
gas accreting onto a rocky core or from
MSC: Remembering
Was it ever possible (or is it currently possible) for Jupiter to become a star?
No, its composition is too different from stars for it to become one.
No, it used to be massive enough, but the solar wind has blown off too much of its mass.
MSC: Applying
How much material in an accretion disk goes into forming the planets, moons, and smaller
objects?
most of it
roughly half of it
a small amount of it
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Describe how planetesimals become planets.
Why do the terrestrial planets have a much higher fraction of their mass in heavy chemical
elements (as opposed to lighter chemical elements) than the giant planets?
Terrestrial planets are low in mass and high in temperature, thus their lighter chemical elements
eventually escaped to the outer reaches of the Solar System.
The heavier elements in the forming solar nebula sank to the center of the Solar System, thus the
inner terrestrial planets formed mostly from heavy chemical elements.
The giant planets were more massive than terrestrial planets, and the giant planets preferentially
pulled the lighter elements from the inner to the outer Solar System.
Terrestrial planets formed much earlier than giant planets before the hydrogen and helium had a
chance to cool and condense onto them.
Terrestrial planets are colder and thus more massive chemical elements condensed on them than
on the giant planets.
MSC: Applying
Which property of an extrasolar planet cannot be determined using the Doppler effect?
orbital period
orbital distance
orbital speed
mass
radius
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
the distance from a star where planets have oxygen in the atmosphere
MSC: Remembering
Doppler shift
transit
microlensing
direct imaging
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
2 to 10 MJupiter.
located at distances much larger than Jupiter’s distance from the Sun.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Consider a star that is more massive and hotter than the Sun. For such a star, the habitable zone
would
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
The Kepler mission is designed to search for extrasolar planets using the _________ method.
Doppler shift
transit
microlensing
direct imaging
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Doppler shift
microlensing
direct imaging
transit
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Astronomers believe that the “hot Jupiters” found orbiting other stars must have migrated inward
over time
by slowly accreting large amounts of gas and increasing their gravitational pull.
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Describe how planetary migration accounts for hot Jupiters being located very close to
their host stars.
The borderline between the most massive planet and the least massive brown dwarf occurs at
4 Jupiter masses.
13 Jupiter masses.
80 Jupiter masses.
45 Jupiter masses.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Have astronomers detected any Earth-sized planets around normal stars yet?
Yes, although the ones detected lie much closer to their stars than we do to ours.
Yes, although the ones detected lie much farther from their stars than we do from ours.
No, we do not have the technology to detect such low-mass planets yet.
No; although we have the technology to detect low-mass planets, we haven’t found any others
yet.
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Why have astronomers using the radial velocity method found more Jupiter-sized planets at a
distance of 1 AU around other stars than Earth-sized planets?
Actually, the planets found at these distances all have been Earth-sized.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
When astronomers began searching for extrasolar planets, they were surprised to discover
Jupiter-sized planets much closer than 1 AU from their parent stars. Why is this surprising?
These planets must have formed at larger radii where temperatures were cooler and then
migrated inward.
Earth-like planets must be rarer than Jupiter-sized planets in other solar systems.
Jupiter-sized planets so close to the star are different than in our Solar System.
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Describe how planetary migration accounts for hot Jupiters being located very close to
their host stars.
Hundreds of extrasolar planets have been discovered to date from radial velocity surveys.
The most common types of extrasolar planets found to date have masses 10 times the mass of
Jupiter and lie within 5 AU from their parent star.
Some planetary systems have been found that contain multiple planets.
A star can brighten significantly because of gravitational lensing when a planet that orbits it
passes directly in front of the star.
The Kepler mission has begun to find terrestrial planets similar in size to Earth.
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Describe how planetary migration accounts for hot Jupiters being located very close to
their host stars.
extrasolar planetary systems that are similar to our own Solar System.
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
An observer located outside our Solar System, who monitors the velocity of our Sun over time,
will find that the Sun’s velocity varies by ± 12 m/s over a period of 12 years, due to
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Detecting a planet around another star using the transit method is difficult because the
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
In the figure below, which of the dips in the brightness of the star is(are) caused by the transit of
the planet with the largest orbital period?
A and B
B and C
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Figure 7.4 shows data from the transit study of a star in which three different planets repeatedly
transit in front of the star (A, B, and C). Which dip is(are) caused by the transit of the planet with
the smallest radius?
B
C
A, B, and C
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Using the Doppler effect data shown in the figure below, determine the approximate orbital
period of the extrasolar planet.
1 year
3 years
6 years
8 years
12 years
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Using the Doppler effect data for a particular star shown in Figure 7.5 and assuming the star is
about the same mass as our Sun, determine the approximate orbital distance of its exoplanet.
1.1 AU
6.4 AU
18 AU
36 AU
3.3 AU
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
From the data shown in Figure 7.5, which property of an extrasolar planet cannot be determined?
orbital period
orbital distance
radius
mass
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
What is the best method to detect Earth-sized exoplanets with the telescopes and instrumentation
that exist today?
Doppler shift
Transit
Microlensing
Direct imaging
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
The masses of exoplanets can be determined using the radial velocity technique.
Most of the exoplanets detected to date have masses that are between 2 and 10 MEarth.
Some exoplanets have been found in the habitable zone around their stars.
Using the transit technique, the Kepler satellite has detected rocky planets.
No images of exoplanets have been obtained because they are too far away.
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
In the figure shown below, what can be directly measured from the information given?
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
What is the ratio of the orbital angular momentum of Earth compared to its spin angular
momentum? Note that Earth has a radius of 6 × 106 m, and 1 AU is 1.5 × 1011 m.
70
640
25,000
4.3 × 106
MSC: Applying
650,000
26,000
920
38
4.5
MSC: Applying
If an interstellar cloud having a diameter of 1016 m and a rotation period of 1 million years were
to collapse to form a sphere that had the diameter of our Solar System, approximately 40 AU,
what would its rotation period be? Assume the cloud’s total mass and angular momentum did not
change.
1 million years
600 years
1 year
6 years
4 months
MSC: Applying
Consider a small parcel of gas in the cloud out of which the Sun formed that initially was located
in the accretion disk at a distance of 10 AU from the Sun and rotating around it with a speed of
10 km/s. If this parcel of gas eventually found its way to a distance of 1 AU from the Sun
without changing its orbital angular momentum, what would be its new rotation speed?
100 km/s
0.1 km/s
0.001 km/s
10 km/s
1,000 km/s
MSC: Applying
If an astronomer on a planet orbiting a nearby star observed the Sun when Neptune was
transiting in front of the Sun, how would the Sun’s brightness change? Note that the radius of
Neptune is 2.5 × 107 m.
MSC: Applying
OBJ: Estimate the size of a planet by considering how much of its parent star’s light it occults.
SHORT ANSWER
Explain the nebular hypothesis, and describe two observations that support it.
ANS: In the nebular hypothesis, a rotating cloud of interstellar gas collapsed and flattened to
form a disk from which the Sun and planets formed. The observation of disks around protostars
and young stars provides evidence in support of this idea, as does the fact that all planets orbit
the Sun in the same direction.
Explain why astronomers believe that the formation of planets is a natural by-product of star
formation.
ANS: To explain the structure of the solar system (the direction and inclination of planetary
orbits), astronomers believe that planets must form out of disks of material. These disks would
bear a striking resemblance to disks that have been observed around a number of young stars.
ANS: Studying meteorites can tell us about the chemical composition of the solar nebula, as well
as the process of planetesimal formation. Some meteorites show a clumpy, nonuniform,
composition similar to concrete. This leads astronomers and geologist to conclude that small
things stuck together to grow larger and form planetesimals.
OBJ: Describe how astronomers and geologists arrived at the same conclusions about Earth’s
origins from different pieces of evidence.
ANS: It means the angular momentum of a system cannot be changed via internal forces; it can
be changed only by external forces.
What evidence do we have that the accretion disk that formed the Solar System was initially
much more dense near its center?
ANS: The Sun contains 99 percent of all the mass of the Solar System.
OBJ: Illustrate how accretion disks transfer angular momentum so that stars and planets can
collapse.
Explain why an accretion disk forms around a protostar when an interstellar cloud collapses.
ANS: As the cloud collapses, the rate of rotation increases so that it halts the collapse of the
cloud toward its axis of rotation, but not parallel to its axis of rotation.
OBJ: Illustrate how accretion disks transfer angular momentum so that stars and planets can
collapse.
ANS: Due to the conservation of momentum, the cloud’s rotation increases, eventually flattening
into an accretion disk.
ANS: Refractory materials are capable of withstanding high temperatures without melting or
being vaporized, whereas volatile materials are not.
Explain why there are significant amounts of methane and ammonia in the atmospheres of
Uranus and Neptune but not nearly as much in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn.
ANS: Ammonia and methane are volatile materials that are only found in the far outer Solar
System where temperatures are very low. At the radii of Jupiter and Saturn, the nebula was hotter
than that at Uranus and Neptune, which are farther from the Sun.
ANS: As material falls onto the disk, gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic
energy. The kinetic is converted to thermal energy when the material collides with other material
in the disk.
The primary atmosphere of Earth consisted of what type of chemical elements and from where
did it originate? What chemical elements did the secondary atmosphere of Earth consist of and
from where did it originate?
ANS: The primary atmosphere consisted mostly of hydrogen and helium, similar to the material
that formed the solar nebula. The secondary atmosphere of Earth consisted mostly of carbon
dioxide that was outgassed from the interior due to volcanic activity
MSC: Remembering
Explain the primary reasons why the inner solar nebula was hotter than the outer solar nebula.
ANS: The inner solar nebula was hotter than the outer solar nebula because the inner regions
converted more of their potential energy into kinetic energy and heat when the original cloud
collapsed to form the Solar System. In addition, when the Sun began to shine, it heated the inner
Solar System more than the outer Solar System.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Use conservation of energy to argue why material falling on an accretion disk heats the
disk up.
ANS: The planets have too little mass and therefore too little gravitational force to keep in the
hot light gases that were present in the protoplanetary disk.
MSC: Remembering
How do astronomers explain the basic difference in composition between the inner planets and
the outer planets?
ANS: The inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) formed in the region of the Solar
System where only refractory materials could exist in solid form, therefore they are composed
mostly of rocks and metals. The outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) formed out
where even volatile materials could exist in solid form. As a result, in addition to rocks and
metals, the Jovian planets and their moons are largely composed of ices as well. The solar wind
reinforced these differences by clearing the inner Solar System of light gases during the
planetary formation process.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Relate the temperature of an accretion disk to the presence of different types of materials
(e.g., refractory, volatile, organic, ice) within the disk.
Why did the planetesimals in the asteroid belt never coalesce into a planet?
ANS: The gravity of Jupiter was so strong that the material could not coalesce.
Why might a newly discovered comet contain clues to the composition of the early solar nebula?
ANS: Comets are believed to be made of ice and dust similar in composition to the early solar
nebula. A newly discovered comet might be on its first orbit of the Sun, and, as it heats and
melts, the gases it emits can tell us about the chemical composition of the solar nebula.
MSC: Understanding
ANS: Craters in the solar system are evidence of a time when the solar system had many small
planetesimals that were colliding to form our present solar system.
MSC: Remembering
ANS: Astronomers believe that the formation of our Moon occurred due to a collision of a Mars-
sized object with the early Earth. The remains of the planet eventually coalesced into our Moon.
By contrast, the Galilean moons are believed to have formed naturally with the rest of the Solar
System. Astronomers believe that the Jovian system formed its own mini accretion disk, out of
which the Galilean moons formed around Jupiter, much as the planets formed around the Sun.
Approximately how massive are most of the extrasolar planets that have been discovered using
the Doppler effect, and which planet in our Solar System is similar in mass? Why is the Doppler
effect method more likely to find massive (rather than low-mass) planets and planets that are
close to their stars?
ANS: The planets found are mostly smaller than Neptune, 2 to 10 times Earth’s mass. The
Doppler effect is more likely to find massive planets because the Doppler shift of their parent
star will be larger, because the gravitational pull is proportional to the mass. Also, it is easier to
find a planet closer in because the force of gravity is stronger as it is inversely proportional to the
square of the semimajor axis. Thus, more massive planets and planets closer to their star are
easier to detect with the Doppler shift.
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Explain why most of the extrasolar planets that astronomers first detected were so-called “hot
Jupiters.”
ANS: Originally technology did not allow us to detect smaller planets. The easiest planets to
detect are massive planets, which cause their parent stars to wobble the most, in close orbits,
which cause their parent stars to wobble faster.
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Have any Earth-sized, terrestrial, extrasolar planets been detected? If so, explain what method(s)
is(are) used.
ANS: The Kepler mission has been finding Earth-sized planets using the transit method to detect
them and using the Doppler shift method to follow up and measure the radii, masses, and
densities and to characterize them as either terrestrial or giant planets.
DIF: Medium REF: Section 7.5
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
In addition to the percentage reduction in light, is anything else needed to determine the size of
the transiting planet?
ANS: The radius of the star is also needed to calculate the size of the transiting planet.
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Explain how astronomers use the Doppler effect to detect the presence of extrasolar planets.
ANS: As a planet orbits a star, the gravitational attraction between the planet and star causes
them to orbit a common center of mass. To an outside observer, this causes the star to appear to
“wobble.” As it does so, it periodically moves toward us and then away from us. These radial
motions produce a Doppler effect in the spectra of the star. By measuring the Doppler effect,
astronomers can infer the mass of the planet and its distance from the star.
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
What property of an extrasolar planet can be determined directly from the Doppler effect data
shown in the figure below? What other properties of the planet can then be determined?
ANS: The period of repetition of the Doppler shifts is also the orbital period of the planet. The
orbital distance and mass of the planet can then be calculated from the maximum orbital velocity
observed along with Newton’s generalized version of Kepler’s third law, if the mass of the
central star and the inclination of the orbit can be determined.
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Briefly explain the five different observational methods we use to detect extrasolar planets. How
many extrasolar planets have been discovered to date?
ANS: The five different observational methods we use to detect extrasolar planets are (1) using
the Doppler shift to detect the motion of its parent star, (2) detecting transits when a planet
moves in front of its parent star and dims it, (3) detecting microlensing events when the planet
moves across the line of sight of its parent star and brightens it, (4) directly imaging the planet as
it orbits its star, and (5) the astrometric method of precise measurement of a star’s position.
Slightly more than 2000 extrasolar planets have been detected as of the writing of this textbook.
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
What evidence do we have that planetary systems are common in the universe?
ANS: Astronomers have directly observed disks around young stars. Astronomers have now
detected more than 2000 planets.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
ANS: The force of gravity from all the nearby objects can move planets from the orbit they form
in. This can cause planets to move inward or outward in the disk.
MSC: Remembering
OBJ: Describe how planetary migration accounts for hot Jupiters being located very close to
their host stars.
What are some limitations of the radial velocity method of exoplanet detection?
ANS: The star needs to be bright. Technological limitations prevent us from detecting Earth-
massed planets. The star has to be moving toward or away from Earth; therefore, for a star
system that is face-on (we see its pole directly) it is impossible to use this technique to detect a
planet.
MSC: Understanding
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
OBJ: Summarize the five methods that astronomers use to detect extrasolar planets.
Compare the orbital angular momentum of Earth and Jupiter. Which is larger and by how much?
(Note that Jupiter’s mass is 318 times that of Earth, the semimajor axis of Jupiter’s orbit is 5.2
AU, and Jupiter’s orbital period is 12 years.)
ANS: The orbital angular momentum is equal to mvr, where m is the mass of the planet, v is its
velocity, and r is the semimajor axis of its orbit. The velocity of a planet is v = 2πr/P, where P is
the orbital period. Thus, the orbital angular momentum is proportional to mr2/P. Thus, the ratio
of Jupiter’s angular momentum to Earth’s angular momentum is (MJ/ME) × (rJ/rE)2 × (PE/PJ) =
318 × 5.22/12 = 720.