ASTRONOMY AND COSMOLOGY

Important points:

1. if you are moving away effect will be redder (cooler)

2. if you coming towards effect will be bluer
3. The lines in the spectra from distant galaxies show an increase in wavelength
4. The lines are moved, or shifted, towards the red end of the spectrum
5. Redshift if the object is moving away from the Earth
6. Blueshift if the object is moving towards the Earth

State the name of the phenomenon that gives rise to change in the wavelengths.

redshift

State what this phenomenon shows about the motion of the galaxy.

moving away (from observer)

State what is meant by the luminosity of a star.

total power of radiation emitted (by the star)

Name the term used to describe an astronomical object that has known luminosity.

standard candle

State what is meant by a standard candle.

object with known luminosity

State Wein’s displacement law.

wavelength of maximum intensity is inversely proportional to (thermodynamic) temperature

State what is meant by redshift.

wavelength is greater than known value

(due to) movement of star away (from observer)

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

by examining the (lines in the) spectrum (of light from the star)

and comparing with known spectrum

State Hubble’s law.

speed is directly proportional to distance

where speed is speed of recession of galaxy (from observer) and distance is distance of galaxy from
observer
Explain how cosmologists use observations of emission spectra from stars in distant galaxies to
determine that the universe is expanding.

wavelengths (of spectral lines) are greater (than their known values)

redshift shows stars (in distant galaxies) moving away from Earth

Explain how Hubble’s law and the idea of the expanding Universe lead to the big bang theory of the
origin of the universe

(all) parts of the universe moving away from each other.

more distant objects are moving away faster

matter must have been close together

Explain how the surface temperature of a distant star may be determined from the wavelength
spectrum of the light from the star.

wavelength of peak intensity determined (from spectrum of star)

wavelength of peak intensity from object of known temperature determined--

wavelength of peak intensity inversely proportional to temperature (Wien’s displacement law used)

State and explain what can be concluded about the Universe based on this change in observed
wavelength

wavelength has increased

galaxy is moving away (from Earth)

universe is expanding

Stefan Boltzmann law

The total energy emitted by a black body per unit area per second is proportional to the fourth power of
the absolute temperature of the body