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Astronomy & cosmology

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12 (a) State what is meant by luminosity of a star.

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(b) The luminosity of the Sun is 3.83 1026 W. The distance between the Earth and the Sun is
1.51 1011 m.

Calculate the radiant flux intensity F of the Sun at the Earth. Give a unit with your answer.

F = .............................. unit .................. [2]

(c) Use data from (b) to calculate the mass that is converted into energy every second in the
Sun.

mass = ..................................................... kg [1]

(d) The radius of the Sun is 6.96 108 m.

Show that the temperature T of the surface of the Sun is 5770 K.

[1]

© UCLES 2022 9702/42/F/M/22


22

10 (a) State Wien’s displacement law.

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............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(b) Fig. 10.1 shows the wavelength distributions of electromagnetic radiation emitted by two stars
A and B.

rate of
emission
star A

star B

0
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
wavelength / m

Fig. 10.1

The surface temperature of star A is known to be 5800 K.

(i) Determine the surface temperature of star B.

surface temperature = ...................................................... K [2]

© UCLES 2022 9702/41/M/J/22


23

(ii) Star B appears less bright than star A when viewed from the Earth.

Use Fig. 10.1 to suggest, with a reason, how else the physical appearance of star B
compares with that of star A.

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..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(c) The lines in Fig. 10.1 have been corrected for redshift.

(i) State what is meant by redshift.

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(ii) Explain how cosmologists are able to determine that light from a distant star has
undergone redshift.

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[Total: 9]

© UCLES 2022 9702/41/M/J/22


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

Q1
The Sun behaves as an approximate black-body radiator with peak energy radiation occurring at
a wavelength of 5.2 × 10–7 m.

(a) (i) Show that the Sun has a surface temperature of about 6000 K.

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(2)

(ii) The radiation received from the Sun at the top of the atmosphere is 1.37 kW m–2.
Show the Sun’s luminosity is about 4 × 1026 W.

Distance from the Sun to the Earth = 1.49 × 1011 m

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(2)

(iii) Hence calculate the radius of the Sun.

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Radius = ....................................
(2)

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AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

(b) The huge power output of the Sun is due to nuclear fusion reactions taking place within
its core. State and explain the conditions necessary for fusion to occur.

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(3)

(c) The telescope was named in honour of Edwin Hubble who measured the red shift of light
from a number of galaxies and related it to their distance from the Earth.

Explain what is meant by the term in this context and state the inference that
Hubble made from his measurements.

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...................................................................................................................................... (2)
(Total 11 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age3


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

Q2
(i) Sirius A is the brightest star in the night sky. It is 8.6 light years from Earth.
Show that this distance is approximately 8 × 1016 m.

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(2)

(ii) Hence determine the intensity of Sirius A as seen from Earth.

The luminosity of Sirius A is 1.0 × 1028 W.

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(3)

(iii) Sirius A has a surface temperature of 9900 K.

Calculate the peak wavelength of the radiation spectrum emitted by Sirius A.

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(2)
(Total 7 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age4


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

Q3
A line in the hydrogen spectrum from a laboratory source has a wavelength of 656 nm.

(a) In the spectrum of light received from a distant galaxy X, this line appears at a
wavelength of 684 nm. Calculate the speed of recession of galaxy X.

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Speed = .............................................................
(3)

(b) A second galaxy Y is twice as far from the Earth as galaxy X. At what wavelength would
you expect the same line to appear in the spectrum of light received from Y?
Explain your reasoning.

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Wavelength = ....................................................
(3)
(Total 6 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age5


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

Q4
(a) Explain the difference between the luminosity and the intensity of a star.

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(3)

(b) (i) The Sun has a surface temperature of 5800 K. Calculate the wavelength at which
the intensity of its spectrum is a maximum.

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(2)

(ii) The radius of the Sun is 6.96 × 108 m. Show that its surface area is approximately
equal to 6 × 1018 m2.

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(2)

(iii) Hence calculate the luminosity of the Sun.

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(3)
(Total 10 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age6


Q5
Two pupils use a parallax method to calculate the distance to a nearby tree. They stand 10.0 m
apart (the baseline, P1P2) and measure the angle between each other and the tree. The angle
measured by each student is 84°. A plan view of this is shown.

P1

84°

10.0 m

Tree

84°
NOT TO SCALE
(i) Calculate the
P2 distance .

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(2)

(ii) State what astronomers use as their baseline in trigonometric parallax measurements of
nearby stars.

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(1)
(iii) State why trigonometric parallax cannot be used to measure the distance to stars over 100
light years from Earth.

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(1)
(Total 4 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age7


Q6
(a) Wien’s law can be written as
max = 2.90 × 10–3 m K

(i) Explain clearly what is meant by each symbol in Wien’s law.

max ....................................................................................................................

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(ii)
The graph shows the wavelength distribution for r adiation detected by the COBE satellite.
(2)
Relative intensity

0 1 2 3 4
/mm
To what part of the electromagnetic spectrum does this radiation belong?
(1)
...........................................................................................................................
(iii) Use the graph to determine the temperature of the source of these emissions.

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Temperature = .............................................
(3)
(b) A star that is considerably more massive than the Sun may end its life as a supernova.
During a supernova explosion approximately 1 × 1046 J of energy can be released.

(i) State the minimum mass of a star that can become a supernova.

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(1)

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AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

(ii) Use the data below to estimate how much energy is given off by the Sun during its
approximate lifetime.

Luminosity = 3.9 × 1026 W Approximate lifetime = 1 × 1010 y

Energy = ..................................
(3)

(iii) Estimate the ratio of the energy that is released when a supernova explodes to the
total energy given off by the Sun during its lifetime.

Ratio = .................................... (2)

(iv) When a supernova explodes, the mass of its core remnant determines its future.
State the two possible outcomes and how each depends on the mass of the remnant.

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(3)

(c) (i) If the Earth (mass = 6.0 × 1024 kg) had the same density as a neutron star it would
be approximately 150 m in radius. Show that the average density of such an object
would be approximately 4 × 1017 kg m–3.

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(2)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age9


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y
(ii) Explain how the neutrons in a neutron star were formed, both during and after the
main sequence. You may be awarded a mark for the clarity of your answer.

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(4)
(d) (i) Use the data below to calculate the intensity of the Sun as measured from Mars and
from Earth.

Luminosity of the Sun = 3.90 × 1026 W

Sun – Mars distance = 2.28 × 108 km

Sun – Earth distance = 1.50 × 108 km

Intensity from Mars = ......................... Intensity from Earth = ........................

(3)
(ii) Hence show that the brightness of the Sun as seen from Mars is approximately 40%
of its brightness from Earth.

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(2)

(Total 26 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age10


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

Q7
(a) Use the data below to show that the luminosity of the star Tau (Zeta Tauri) is
approximately 4 × 1030 W.

Intensity = 1.9 × 10–8 W m–2

Distance from Earth = 4.0 × 1018 m

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(3)

(b) One of the labelled stars on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is Tau. Calculate the
luminosity of Tau in terms of solar luminosities and thus deduce which letter must
represent this star. Luminosity of the Sun = 3.9 × 1026 W.

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Luminosity = .....................................

Star = ....................................
(3)
(Total 6 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age11


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

Q8
(a) Edwin Hubble examined the relationship between the recessional speed of galaxies, ,
and their distance, , from Earth. The graph shows the best-fit line for his results.

80
Recessional
speed
/ 10 3 km s –1
60

40

20

0
0 2.0 4.0 6.0
Distance d / 10 9 ly
(i) Use the graph to determine a value for the Hubble constant, , in s–l. Show your
working.

Hubble constant = ..........................................s–1


(4)

(ii) What is the main source of uncertainty in the value of ?

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(1)

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AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

(b) Explain how the Hubble constant provides us with an estimate for the age of the
Universe, .

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(2)

(c) Ionised calcium has a line spectrum which includes a spectral line of wavelength 393 nm.
The observed wavelength of this calcium line in the radiation from a distant galaxy is
469 nm. Calculate the galaxy’s recessional speed.

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Recessional speed = ..........................................


(3)

(d) Briefly explain how the value of the average mass-energy density of the Universe will
determine whether the Universe is open or closed.

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(2)
(Total 12 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age13


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

(i) Use the graph to demonstrate that the relationship between and distance from the
centre of the Earth obeys an inverse square law.

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(3)

(ii) The average distance between the centre of the Moon and the centre of the Earth is
380 Mm. Use information from the graph to determine the Earth’s gravitational
field strength at this distance.

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Gravitational field strength = ..........................................


(2)

(c) What effect, if any, does the Earth’s gravitational field have on the Moon?

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(1)
(Total 8 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age14


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

Q9

In July 2003 astronomers announced the discovery of a planet orbiting a star 90 light years from
Earth. The astronomers used the Doppler effect to detect the planet.

You may have heard the Doppler effect when an ambulance using its siren passes you. Describe
what would be heard as the ambulance approaches and then passes.

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(2)

The method used by the astronomers is called the Doppler Wobble effect. When a planet orbits
a star it pulls on the star, making it move slightly or ‘wobble’. The larger the planet, the more
the star wobbles.

Explain the use of the Doppler technique to discover the new planet. Include diagrams of the
planet and star when the Doppler effect is most useful. Label your diagrams and show the
direction of the Earth.

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(4)
The astronomers discovered that the time for the planet to make one orbit around its star was six
years. How did they determine this from their observations?

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(1)
(Total 7 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age15


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y
Q 10
The table shows the properties of three main sequence stars.

Surface
Star Luminosity/
temperature/K

0.53 5250

Sirius A 26 9230

Cas 930 000 29 500

The luminosity of the Sun is 3.9 × 1026W. Calculate the luminosity of Sirius A.

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(2)

Show that the area of Sirius A is approximately 2.5 × 1019 m2.

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(2)

Hence calculate the diameter of Sirius A.

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(2)
(Total 6 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age16


Q 11
Hubble’s law can be represented by the formula = .

(a) State the unit of the Hubble constant .

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(1)
(b) Show how the age of the Universe can be estimated by using the above formula. State an
assumption that has to be made.

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Assumption: ...............................................................................................................

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(4)
(Total 5 marks)

Q 12
(i) The equation / 4 2 can be used to determine the luminosity of a star of known
distance and intensity . Use this equation to show that the base units of intensity are kg s–3

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(3)
(ii) Calculate the luminosity of a star which has a measured intensity of 1370 W m–2 and
which is known to be 1.49 × 1011 m from Earth.

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(3)
(Total 6 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age17


Q 13
When the Sun was formed some 4.6 × 109 years ago, it was slightly smaller than it is today.
Theoretical calculations show that it has become 40% more luminous and grown in radius by
6% (i.e. = 1.4 and = 1.06 where and represent the luminosity and radius of the Sun
when it was formed).

Data for the Sun today:

Luminosity = 3.9 × 1026 W

Radius = 7.0 × 105 km

Temperature = 5800 K

(i) Calculate the luminosity of the Sun when it was formed.

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(2)
(ii) Calculate the surface area of the Sun when it was formed.

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(2)
(iii) Hence show that the surface temperature of the Sun has increased by approximately 300
K during its lifetime.

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(4)
(iv) The Sun has become slightly more yellow during its lifetime. It used to be more orange in
colour. This is because the wavelength at which the peak intensity of its emitted radiation
occurs has decreased. Use Wien’s law to calculate the decrease in the wavelength of the
peak intensity.
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(3)
(Total 11 marks)
C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age18
Q 14

(a) What is meant by the Doppler effect (electromagnetic Doppler effect) when applied to
light?

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(2)

(b) Edwin Hubble reached a number of conclusions as a result of observations and


measurements of red-shift. State two of these conclusions.

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(2)

(c) The diagram gives values of wavelength for part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Wavelength/ 10–9 m
200 300 400 500 600 700

UV Visible IR

A very hot distant galaxy emits violet light just at the edge of the visible spectrum.
Estimate the maximum velocity the galaxy could have so that visible light could still be
detected as it moves away from the Earth.

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(4)
(d) The fate of the Universe is dependent on the average mass-energy density of the
Universe. What is meant by the critical density of the Universe?

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(2)
(Total 10 marks)

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age19


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y
MARKING SCHEMES
Q1
(a) (i) maxT=2.898 × 10–3 (1)
Correct answer (1) 2
Example of calculation:
2.898 10 –3 mK
T= = 5570K
5.2 10 – 7 m

2
(ii) (1)
Correct answer (1) 2
Example of calculation:
L = 1370 Wm=2 11
m)2 = 3.8 × 1026 W

2 4
(iii) (1)
Correct answer (7.46 × 108 m) (1) 2
Example of calculation:
3.82 10 26 W
r2 = –8 –2 –4 4
5.57 1017 m 2
4 5.67 10 Wm K (5570K)

r= 5.57 1017 m 2 = 7.46 × 108 m

3.8 × 10–26 W 4 × 1026 W


5570 K 7.46 7.6
6000 K 6.4 6.6

(b) The answer must be clear, use an appropriate style and be organised in a
logical sequence
QWC
High temperature AND high density/pressure (1)
Any two reasons from:
Overcome coulomb/electrostatic repulsion (1)
Nuclei come close enough to fuse/for strong (nuclear) force to act (1)
High collision rate/collision rate is sufficient (1) Max 3

(c) The observed wavelength is longer than the actual wavelength / the
wavelength is stretched out (1)
One from:
The universe is expanding (1)
(All distant) galaxies are moving apart (1)
The (recessional) velocity of galaxies is proportional to distance (1)
The furthest out galaxies move fastest (1) Max 2

TOTAL MARKS 11

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AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y
Q2
(i) Distance to Sirius
Substitution in × /s [ignore 8.6, accept 365 or 365¼ days] (1)
8.1 × 1016 (m) [8.13, 8.14] (1)
=
= 8.6 × 3.00 × 108 m s–1 × (60 × 60 × 24 × 365¼) s
= 8.1 × 1016 m 2

(ii) Sirius A intensity calculation


2
Use of = (1)
Correct substitution (1)
1.2 × 10–7 W m–2 [1.20 – 1.24] (1)
2
=
28 16
= 1.0 × 10 m)2
= 1.2 × 10–7 W m–2 3

(iv) Peak wavelength calculation


Use of Wien’s law (1)
2.93 × 10–7 m (1)

max = 2.90 × 10–3 m K / 9900 K


= 2.93 × 10–7 m 2
[10]

Q3
(a) Calculation of recession speed
= 684 – 656 (1)
Use of / / (1)
1.28 × 10 m s–1 (1)
7

[Substituting 684 for , leading to 1.23 × 107, loses last two marks] 3
(3.00 × 108 m s–1)(28 × 10–9 m)/(656 × 10–9 m)
= 1.28 × 107 m s–1

(b) Calculation of wavelength received from Y


By Hubble’s law / = / proportional to , as is doubled,
is doubled (1)
= 56 / is doubled (1)
712 nm (1)
[Bald answer of 712 nm, with no working or explanation, gets 2
marks only]
[If candidate gets part (a) wrong, accept EITHER 56, 712 for the
last two marks (if they have avoided reusing the formula or made
the same mistake again) OR ecf (if they have repeated the
calculation but avoided the original mistake)] 3
[6]

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age22


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y
Q4

(a) Intensity and Luminosity


Luminosity = power [or energy / time, accept “per second”] (1)
Intensity = power (or energy / time) [e.c.f. from first mark] per
unit area [accept per square metre] (1)
Luminosity: measured at star OR Intensity: measured at Earth /
depends on distance (from star) / observed OR W with W m–2
2
OR = (1) 3

(b) (i) Wavelength of Sun


Use of Wien’s law [accept any attempted use] (1)
5.0 × 10–7 m (1) 2

(ii) Surface area of Sun


2
(1)
6.1 × 1018 (m2) (1) 2

(iii) Luminosity of Sun


4 4 2
= [or = 4 ] (1)
Correct substitution [e.c.f.] (1)
3.9 × 1026 W [accept 3.8 or 3.84 × 1026 W from 6 × 1018 m2] (1) 3
[10]
Q5
Parallax analogy
(i) 5 tan 84° [beware 5 / cos 84° = 47.8 m] (1)
47.6 m (1) 2

(ii) 2 AU / Earth orbital radius × 2 / Earth orbital diameter /


distance between Earth at a six month interval / 3 × 1011 m (1) 1

(iii) Inaccurate readings / difficult to measure AND small angles /


movement relative to background (stars) (1) 1
[4]

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age23


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

Q6
(a) Wien’s law
(i) • Wavelength of peak [or maximum] intensity [allow brightness, but
not power / energy / ] (1)
• Absolute or Kelvin (surface) temperature (of star) (1) 2

Spectrum
(ii) Microwave / infra–red [accept i.r.] (1) 1

(iii) max = 1.05 (mm) (1)

Substitution in = 2.90 × 10–3 m K ÷ their max with ×10–3 (1)


[2.90 × 10–3 m K ÷ 1.05 × 10–3 m, with mm m conversion
required]
= 2.76 [accept range 2.6 – 2.9] K (1) 3

(b) (i) Supernova minimum mass


8 [ accept 1.6 × 1031 kg] (1) 1

(ii) Energy from Sun


1 × 1010 × 365(¼) × 24 × 60 × 60 / 3(.15) × 1017 (1)
Use of = × (1)

1(.2) × 1044 J [Beware = 1.24 × 109 J] (1)

= ×
= 3.9 × 1026 W × 1 × 1010 × 365(¼) × 24 × 60 × 60 s
= 1.2 × 1044 J 3

(iii) 1046 ÷ (1.2 ×) 1044 [ecf for any ] (1)


80 – 100 [ecf] [accept 83:1 or 1:0.012] (1)
[inverted answer scores zero, unless values identified for 1/2] 2

(iv) Supernova future


neutron star / pulsar (1)
black hole (1)
n.s. if > 1.4 OR b.h. if > 2.5 (1) 3

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age24


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y
(c) Neutron star density
3
(i) = ÷ (1)
4.2 [or 4.3] × 1017 (kg m–3) (1)
= ÷
3
=3
= 3 × 6.0 × 1024 3
)
= 4.2 × 1017 kg m–3 2

(ii) Neutron formation


Quality of written communication (1)
Main sequence: fusion (reaction) / (ms) p n / beta plus decay (1)
[post ms] p + e– n (1)
[post ms] due to gravitational collapse / implosion (1) 4

(d) Intensity of Sun


2
(i) Use of = ) (1)
597 OR 1380 (ignore 10n) (1)
597 W m–2 AND 1380 W m–2 [accept W km–2 with appropriate
values] (1) 3
D2)
=
= 3.90 × 1028 11
m)2)
= 597 W m2
= 3.90 × 1028 11
m)2)
= 1380 W m–2
597 ÷ 1380 [ecf, accept (2.28 ÷ 1.50)2] (1)
43% (1) 2
[26]

Q7 (a) Use of = 4 2
(1)
Correct substitution (1)
3.8(2) × 1030(W) (1) 3

Zeta Tauri identification (ecf)


(b) 3.8(2) × 1030 W 3.9 × 1026 W [or 4 × 1030 W used] (1)
Correct ratio [e.g. 9700, 9800, 10300 or 104, etc.] (1)
Hence A [from answer in range 9700 to 10300] (1) 3
[6]

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age25


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

Q8
(a) (i) Hubble constant
Use of = or gradient (1)
Converts y to s i.e. × (365 × 24 × 60 × 60) (1)
Correct × by ‘c’ (1)
[Seeing 9.46 × 1015 gets previous two marks]
1.7 to 1.8 × 10–18 (s–1) (1) 4
[No marks for a bald answer]
e.g. 60 × 106 m s–1 /
(3.6 × 107 1y × 365 × 24 × 3600 × 3 × 108 m 1y–1)
= 1.8 × 10–18 s–1

(ii) Uncertainty
Distance / (1) 1

(b) Age of Universe


States that (any arrangement) (1)
Combines this with restated Hubble law (any arrangement) to give
= 1 (1) 2

(c) Recessional Speed


Red shift = 76 nm / 469 – 393 nm (1)

Use of (1)

5.8 × 107 m s–1 (1) 3


e.g. = 76 × 10–9 m × 3 × 108 m s–1/393 × 10–9 m
= 5.8 × 107 ms–1

(d) Average mass-energy density


Closed : high density/above critical density (1)
Then gravitational pull (or force or attraction) sufficient to cause
Big Crunch/pull everything back/stop expansion (1)
[NOT to hold the galaxies together]
OR equivalent argument for Open
[Don’t accept mass for density in mark 1 or just “gravity” in mark 2] 2
[12]

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age26


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y
Q9
Doppler effect:
2 points from
As ambulance approaches, frequency is higher (than normal) (1)
As ambulance recedes, frequency is lower (than normal) (1)
At moment of passing observed frequency = siren frequency (1) max 2

Diagram and explanation:


Diagram shows planet, star and Earth in line, with planet on far side of star (1)
Diagram shows planet, star and Earth in line, with planet between
star and Earth (1)
Idea that planet attracts star towards itself (1)
Hence star experiences a change in velocity towards planet (1)
or min f /
max 4
referring to radiation from the star] [must not refer to sound] (1)
[A good diagram can score all 4 marks. Information on the diagram
overrules written]

Time for orbit:


Idea of measuring/identifying the time taken for planet to return to
the same position in its orbit or half an orbit (1) 1
[e.g. the time between successive minima or maxima / the time between
the start of red shift and the start of blue shift is half an orbit]

Explanation:
F = GMm/r2 quoted [watch out for F change to g] (1)
(For the Earth) m is very small [accept size is very small] (1)
Hence the force exerted on the star is smaller(despite a smaller r) (1)
Change in velocity / wobble produced is too small to give an
observable Doppler shift [frequency shift, red/blue shift accepted in 4
place of Doppler shift] (1)
[11]
Q 10
Diameter of Sirius A
26 × 3.9 × 1026 (1)
1.0 × 1028 W (ue) (1) 2
4
(or implied by substitution) (1)
2.46 (or 2.43 or 2.45) × 1019 (m2) (1) 2
2
Use of /4 r2/1.4 × 109 m (1)
2.8 × 109 m[no ecf] (1) 2
[6]

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age27


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y
Q 11
(a) Units
s–1 / km s–1 kpc–1 /km s–1 Mpc–1 (1) 1

(b) Estimate
See or rearrangement (1)
Substitution in = for to give = 1/ (1)
[Substitute value of to obtain ]

Assumption
Since the Big Bang/start of time (1)
(All) galaxies/galaxy is/are travelling at constant speed /no (1)
gravitational attractive forces / Universe expands at a constant rate
[ is constant scores max 1 for Assumption. Allow credit for the 4
marking points anywhere within (b)] 4
[5]
Q 12
Base units of intensity
(i) = J s–1 / N m s–1 or = or = (1)
J = kg m2 s–2 or kg m s–2 m (1)
Algebra to kg s–3 shown (e.g. kg m2 s–2 s–1 m–2) (1) 3
Luminosity calculation

(ii) Correct substitution (1)


3.82 or 3.8 [ignore 10n] (1)
hence 3.8(2) × 1026 W [ue] [allow 3.9 or 4] (1) 3
Q 13 [6]
When Sun was formed
(i) Attempted use of = 1.4 (1)
2.8 × 1026 W (1)
(ii) 1.062 used (1)
5.5 × 1018 m2 / 5.5 × 1012 km2 (1) 4
Show temperature change

4
(iii) (or implied) (1)
Correct substitution [ecf] (1)
Hence 5500 (K) [no ecf] (1)
Hence 5800 5500 [or 330, 308, 310] (1) 4
Wien’s law
(iv) = 2.90 × 10–3 m K (1)
(max)
530 nm or 500 nm [no ue] (1)
(1) 3
[11]

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age28


AST R O N O MY AN D C OSM O L O G Y

Q 14
(a) Electromagnetic Doppler effect
Change in the frequency/wavelength (of the light/radiation from a
source) (1)
because of relative motion between source and observer (1) 2
[If giving specific examples must cover both possibilities of change
in frequency and relative motion eg describe red shift and blue shift]

(b) Hubble’s conclusions


Any two from:
• (Recession) velocity galaxy distance [NOT stars]
• Red shift due to a galaxy moving away from Earth/observer
• Deduction of the expanding Universe [not the Big Bang] (1) (1) 2
[only penalise lack of galaxy once]

(c) Minimum velocity


= 660 (nm) 390 (nm) = 270 (nm) (1)
Their / their short = (1)
Correct substitution of = 3 × 108 (m s–1) (1)
Maximum velocity = 2.1 × 108 (m s–1) (1) 4
(d) Critical mean density
Density is large enough to prevent Universe expanding for ever (1)
but not too big to cause a collapse/contraction of the Universe (1) 2
[10]

Q 15
(i) Its chemical composition / surface temperature (1)
(not velocity) 1
(ii) Use of [some substitution or rearrange] (1)
see = 440 or 400 (1)
= 1.36 × 107 m s–1 (1)
[if bald answer: 1.43 × 107 (1)xx; 1.4 × 107 (1)xx ;
1.50 × 107 (1) (1)x; 1.5 × 107 (1) (1)x]
towards the Earth / us (1) 4
[5]

C ompi led by A yaz Q u reshi P age29

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