Astrophysics Chapter 15 1

PHYSI CS 2: HSC COURSE 2

nd
edition (Andriessen et al)
Chapter 15: Astronomical measurement (pages 296-8)
WORKED SOLUTIONS
1.
km AU l-y pc
1 km = 1 6.68510
-9
1.05710
-13
3.240810
-14
1 AU = 1.49610
8
1 1.581310
-5
4.84810
-6
1 light-year = 9.460510
12
6.324104 1 0.3066
1 parsec = 3.08610
12
206 265 3.2616 1
4.
(a) Sample solution all other parts are solved similarly.
pc 05 . 44
0227 . 0
1
1
=
=
=
p
d
(b) 98.04 pc
(c) 19.96 pc
(d) 28.49 pc
(e) 5.144 pc
(f) 190 pc (to 2 significant figures)
(g) 11.2 pc
(h) 1.82 pc
(i) 160 pc
(j) 130 pc
5.
(a) Sample solution all other parts are solved similarly.
arcsec 0633 . 0
8 . 15
1
1
=
=
=
d
p
Astrophysics Chapter 15 2
(b) 0.097 arcsec
(c) 0.00422 arcsec
(d) 0.38 arcsec
(e) 0.0134 arcsec
(f) 0.00763 arcsec
(g) 0.0104 arcsec
(h) 0.0775 arcsec
(i) 0.001 arcsec
(j) 0.13 arcsec
6.
(a) 15.8 pc = 15.8 x 3.2616 = 51.5 light-years
(b) 33.6 light-years
(c) 773 light-years
(d) 8.5 light-years
(e) 243 light-years
(f) 427.6 light-years
(g) 313 light-years
(h) 42.1 light-years
(i) 3200 light-years
(j) 25 light-years
14.
(a) Use Weins law to determine temperature.
K 10 25 . 7
400
10 9 . 2
10 9 . 2
T
10 9 . 2 T
3
6
max
6
6
max
=

=
=
(b) Use Stefans law to determine total energy output per second or luminosity.
W 10 37 . 9
) 10 25 . 7 )( 10 6705 . 5 ( ) 10 90 . 6 ( 4
T R 4 L
26
4 3 8 2 8
4 2
=
=
=

15.
Astrophysics Chapter 15 3
(a)
( )
( )
2 . 4
100
100
100
I
I
33 . 0
5 45 . 0 09 . 2
5 m m
ol lg A
Achernar Achernar ol lg A

=
=
=

That is, Achernar is approximately 4.2 times brighter than Algol.

(b)
( )
( )
8 . 2
100
100
100
I
I
22 . 0
5 05 . 0 06 . 1
5 m m
Antares
Arcturus Arcturus Antares

=
=
=

That is, Arcturus is approximately 2.8 times brighter than Antares.

(c)
( )
( )
700 3
100
100
100
I
I
8 . 1
5 61 . 0 54 . 9
5 m m
star s ' Barnard
Hadar Hadar star s ' Barnard

=
=
=

That is, Hadar is approximately 3700 times brighter than Barnards star.
(d)
( )
( )
2
100
100
100
I
I
15 . 0
5 4 . 0 16 . 1
5 m m
Pollux
ocyon Pr ocyon Pr Pollux

=
=
=

That is, Procyon is approximately 2 times brighter than Pollux.

(e)
( )
( )
65
100
100
100
I
I
908 . 0
5 47 . 6 01 . 11
5 m m
oxima Pr
Mira Mira oxima Pr

=
=
=

That is, Mira is approximately 65 times brighter than Proxima Centauri.

Astrophysics Chapter 15 4
(f)
( )
( )
56
100
100
100
I
I
876 . 0
5 09 . 2 47 . 6
5 m m
Mira
ol lg A ol lg A Mira

=
=
=

That is, Algol is approximately 56 times brighter than Mira.

27.
( )
( )
28
2 . 14
5 7 . 26 5 . 12
5 m m
Moon
Sun
10 5 . 2
100
100
100
I
I
Sun Moon

=
=
=

That is, Sun is approximately 2.5 10

28
times brighter than the Moon.
30.
(a)
( )
( )
96
100
100
100
I
I
99 . 0
5 19 . 4 77 . 0
5 M m
distance true
pc 10 at

=
=
=

That is, Acrux would be approximately 96 times brighter at a distance of 10 pc than at its
true distance from us.
(b)
pc 98 10 82 . 9 d
82 . 9 10
10
d
10
d
log 992 . 0
10
d
log 5 96 . 4
10
d
log 5 77 . 0 19 . 4
10
d
log 5 m M
992 . 0
=
= =

=
Astrophysics Chapter 15 5
31.
star m M d
Rigel 0.18 -6.69 237
Bellatrix 1.64 -2.72 74.5
Capella 0.07 -0.48 12.9
Sirius -1.44 1.45 2.64
Deneb 1.25 -8.73 991
Altair 0.75 2.2 5.14
Achernar 0.45 -2.77 44.1
Spica 0.98 -3.55 81
32.
Star Parallax
(mas)
Distance
(pc)
m M
Fomalhaut 130.08 7.69 1.17 1.74
Vega 128.93 7.76 0.03 0.58
Canopus 10.43 95.9 -0.62 -5.5
Betelgeuse 7.63 131 0.45 -5.1
Rigil Kent 742.12 1.35 -0.01 4.3
35.
Fomalhaut: Spectral class A3V indicates a blue-white main sequence star with an absolute
magnitude of approximately +1. Applying the distance modulus equation:
pc 10 10 1 d
1 10
10
d
10
d
log 03 . 0
10
d
log 5 17 . 1 1
10
d
log 5 m M
03 . 0
= =
=

=
Astrophysics Chapter 15 6
Vega: Spectral class A0V also indicates a blue-white main sequence star with an absolute
magnitude of approximately +1. Applying the distance modulus equation:
pc 8 10 8 . 0 d
8 . 0 10
10
d
10
d
log 09 . 0
10
d
log 5 03 . 0 5 . 0
10
d
log 5 m M
09 . 0
= =
=

36.
Canopus: Spectral class F0I indicates a white supergiant star with an absolute magnitude of
approximately -5. Applying the distance modulus equation:
pc 75 10 5 . 7 d
5 . 7 10
10
d
10
d
log 88 . 0
10
d
log 5 62 . 0 5
10
d
log 5 m M
88 . 0
= =
=

=
41.
Based on the colour index, Aldebaran is a red star of spectral class K with a surface temperature
of approximately 3 500 K.
42.
Based on the colour index, Spica is a blue-white star of spectral class B with a surface
temperature of approximately 15 000 K.