Astro 1500 Trivia - November 1, 2024 - Lectures 17-18

What is a pulsar?

• A supernova with an extreme magnetic field

• A black hole periodically emitting Hawking Radiation

• A rotating neutron star

• An alien lighthouse

True of false: Any star with a birth mass less than 8 Solar Masses can NEVER go supernova?

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Typically true, unless the star has a binary companion. Then there is a small change for a thermonuclear supernova.

Which of the following stars (in a single star system) would go supernova after dying?

• A star with mass 3x Solar Mass

• A star with mass 5x Solar Mass

• A star with mass 8x Solar Mass

• A star with mass 13x Solar Mass

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

Which of the following stars (in a single star system) would most likely become a black hole after dying?

• A star with mass 20x Solar Masses

• A star with mass 30x Solar Masses

• A star with mass 50x Solar Masses

• A star with mass 100x Solar Masses

For a new pulsar, what is their approximate rotational speed?

• Miliseconds

• Seconds

• Minutes

• Hours

What causes a pulsar to emit a beam of light?

• The motion of electrons in a magnetic field

• The collision and fusion of heavy elements due to the rotation

• The core fluctuating in size, nearing a supernova

• Intense gravitational waves

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-5

NGSS.HS-PS4-3

Why are pulsars handy as astrophysical clocks?

• They are not, only real clocks are useful

• We know the magnetic field development for pulsars and can measure them from earth

• Gravitational Waves are emitted and we can measure the time from them

• We know the approximate period of rotation for pulsars

True of false: A Pulsars rotation typically speed up over time

• True

• False

A short duration GRB is caused by ____, and a long duration GRB is caused by ____

• A Black Hole, Merging Black Holes

• Merging Neutron Stars, Hypernovas or Collapsars

• Hypernovas or Collapsars, Supernovas

• Pulsars, Merging Neutron Stars

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

What could form supermassive black holes?

• Collapse of enormous gas clouds

• They formed with the Universe

• A merger of smaller black holes

• A regular black hole consumed lots of non-stellar mass