PEP151 - Exam2
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55 Terms
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Solar Nebula Hypothesis
The theory that the solar system formed from a rotating cloud of gas and dust that collapsed under gravity and flattened into a disk
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Planetesimal
A small body formed from dust and gas in the early solar system that eventually coalesces into planets
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Differentiation (planets)
The process by which denser materials sink to the center of a planet and lighter materials rise
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Asteroid
A rocky object primarily found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
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Comet
An icy body that develops a tail as it approaches the Sun due to sublimation
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Kuiper Belt
A region beyond Neptune filled with icy bodies including Pluto
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Oort Cloud
A hypothesized distant spherical shell of icy objects
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Radiometric Dating
A method of determining the age of objects by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes
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CAIs
Calcium-Aluminum-rich inclusions in meteorites used to date the solar system at 4.567 billion years old
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Transit Method
A method of detecting exoplanets by observing periodic dips in a star’s brightness
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Radial Velocity Method
Detecting exoplanets by observing Doppler shifts in a star’s spectrum due to gravitational wobbles
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Direct Imaging
Observing exoplanets by blocking the starlight to capture light from the planet directly
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Gravitational Microlensing
A method where a planet’s gravity magnifies the light of a background star
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Astrometry
Detecting planets by measuring tiny changes in a star’s position in the sky
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Core of the Sun
The center of the Sun where nuclear fusion occurs
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Radiative Zone
The layer where energy is transported outward by radiation
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Convective Zone
The layer where hot plasma rises and cool plasma sinks
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Photosphere
The visible surface of the Sun where light escapes
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Chromosphere
A reddish layer above the photosphere
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Corona
The outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere
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Sunspot
A cooler
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Solar Cycle
An approximately 11-year cycle of solar activity including sunspots and flares
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Magnetic Reversal
The flipping of the Sun’s magnetic polarity every 11 years
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Nuclear Fusion
The process in the Sun’s core where hydrogen atoms combine to form helium and release energy
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Proton-Proton Chain
The series of nuclear reactions that convert hydrogen into helium in the Sun’s core
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E=mc²
Einstein’s formula showing that mass can be converted into energy during fusion
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Hydrostatic Equilibrium
The balance between inward gravity and outward pressure from fusion in the Sun
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Thermal Equilibrium
The balance between energy produced in the Sun’s core and energy radiated into space
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Luminosity
The total amount of energy a star emits per second
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Wien’s Law
A law used to determine a star’s temperature from its peak wavelength
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Stefan-Boltzmann Law
A law relating a star’s luminosity to its radius and temperature: L = 4πR²σT⁴
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Parallax
The apparent shift in a star’s position due to Earth’s orbit
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Parsec
A unit of distance equal to 3.26 light years
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Apparent Magnitude
How bright a star appears from Earth
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Absolute Magnitude
How bright a star would appear from 10 parsecs away
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Distance Modulus
The difference between apparent and absolute magnitude: m - M = 5 log(d) - 5
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Inverse Square Law
A law stating that brightness decreases with the square of the distance from the source
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Spectral Type
A classification of stars based on temperature: O B A F G K M
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Luminosity Class
A classification of stars by size and brightness: I (supergiant)
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H-R Diagram
A graph of stars’ luminosity versus temperature
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Main Sequence
The phase where stars fuse hydrogen in their cores
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White Dwarf
A small
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Red Giant
A large
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Supergiant
An extremely large and luminous star in the final stages of evolution for high-mass stars
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Visual Binary
A binary star system where both stars can be directly observed
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Spectroscopic Binary
A binary star system detected by Doppler shifts in spectral lines
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Eclipsing Binary
A binary system where one star periodically blocks the other
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Low-Mass Star Evolution
Main sequence → red giant → planetary nebula → white dwarf
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High-Mass Star Evolution
Main sequence → supergiant → supernova → neutron star or black hole
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Neutron Star
A dense stellar remnant composed almost entirely of neutrons
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Black Hole
An object with gravity so strong that nothing
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