Astronomy
1st Edition
ISBN: 9781938168284
Author: Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher: OpenStax
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Textbook Question
Chapter 18, Problem 29E
Two stars are in a visual binary star system that we see face on. One star is very massive whereas the other is much less massive. Assuming circular orbits, describe their relative orbits in terms of orbit size, period, and orbital velocity.
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Chapter 18 Solutions
Astronomy
Ch. 18 - How does the mass of the Sun compare with that of...Ch. 18 - Name and describe the three types of binary...Ch. 18 - Describe two ways of determining the diameter of a...Ch. 18 - What are the largest- and smallest-known values of...Ch. 18 - You are able to take spectra of both stars in an...Ch. 18 - Sketch an HR diagram. Label the axes. Show where...Ch. 18 - Describe what a typical star in the Galaxy would...Ch. 18 - How do we distinguish stars from brown dwarfs? How...Ch. 18 - Describe how the mass, luminosity, surface...Ch. 18 - One method to measure the diameter of a star is to...
Ch. 18 - We discussed in the chapter that about half of...Ch. 18 - Is the Sun an average star? Why or why not?Ch. 18 - Suppose you want to determine the average...Ch. 18 - Why do most known visual binaries have relatively...Ch. 18 - Figure 18.11 shows the light curve of a...Ch. 18 - There are fewer eclipsing binaries than...Ch. 18 - Within 50 light-years of the Sun, visual binaries...Ch. 18 - Which is easier to observe at large distances-a...Ch. 18 - The eclipsing binary Algol drops from maximum to...Ch. 18 - Review this spectral data for five stars. Which is...Ch. 18 - Which changes by the largest factor along the main...Ch. 18 - Suppose you want to search for brown dwarfs using...Ch. 18 - An astronomer discovers a type-M star with a large...Ch. 18 - Approximately 6000 stars are bright enough to be...Ch. 18 - Use the data in Appendix J to plot an HR diagram...Ch. 18 - Use the diagram you have drawn for Exercise 18.25...Ch. 18 - Use the data in Appendix I to plot an HR diagram...Ch. 18 - If a visual binary system were to have two...Ch. 18 - Two stars are in a visual binary star system that...Ch. 18 - Describe the spectra for a spectroscopic binary...Ch. 18 - Figure 18.7 shows the velocity of two stars in a...Ch. 18 - You go out stargazing one night, and someone asks...Ch. 18 - If you were to compare three stars with the same...Ch. 18 - Are supergiant stars also extremely massive?...Ch. 18 - Consider the following data on four stars: Which...Ch. 18 - If two stars are in a binary system with a...Ch. 18 - It is possible that stars as much as 200 times the...Ch. 18 - The lowest mass for a true star is 1/12 the mass...Ch. 18 - Spectral types are an indicator of temperature....Ch. 18 - We can estimate the masses of most of the stars in...Ch. 18 - In Diameters of Stars, the relative diameters of...Ch. 18 - Now calculate the radius of Sirius’ white dwarf...Ch. 18 - How does this radius of Sirius B compare with that...Ch. 18 - From the previous calculations and the results...Ch. 18 - How much would you weigh if you were suddenly...Ch. 18 - The star Betelgeuse has a temperature of 3400 K...Ch. 18 - Using the information provided in Table 18.1, what...Ch. 18 - Confirm that the angular diameter of the Sun of...Ch. 18 - An eclipsing binary star system is observed with...Ch. 18 - If a 100 solar mass star were to have a luminosity...Ch. 18 - If Betelgeuse had a mass that was 25 times that of...
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- If two stars are in a binary system with a combined mass of 5.5 solar masses and an orbital period of 12 years, what is the average distance between the two stars?arrow_forwardVerify that if two stars have a difference of five magnitudes, this corresponds to a factor of 100 in the ratio (b2b1) ; that 2.5 magnitudes corresponds to a factor of 10; and that 0.75 magnitudes corresponds to a factor of 2.arrow_forwardShow that if two stars of the same luminosity form a close binary pair, the magnitude apparent light of the pair measured together is about 0.75 magnitudes brighter than any of the individual stars.arrow_forward
- The figure below shows the radial velocity of a star plotted as a function of time over the course of 20 days. Where is the planet in its orbit around the star when the star's radial velocity is 18 km/s? How do I determine this?arrow_forwardThe a star system contains two stars, one with apparent magnitude m = 10.5 and the other with m = 10.9. What is the combined apparent magnitude of the two stars?arrow_forwardThe Algol binary system consists of a 3.7 Msun star and a 0.8 Msun star with an orbital period of 2.87 days. Using Newton’s version of Kepler’s Third Law, calculate the distance, a, between the two stars. Compare that to the size of Betelgeuse (you’ll need to look that up). Newton’s Version of Kepler’s Law: (M1 + M2) P2 = (4p2 /G) a3 Rearrange the equation to solve for a. Pi, p, is equal to 3.14. IMPORTANT NOTE: Google the value of G (the Universal Gravitational Constant) or look it up in your text. NOTICE THE UNITS. You must convert every distance and time in your equation to the same units, otherwise, you’ll get an incorrect answer. That means you must convert distances to meters, solar masses to kilograms, and time to seconds. When you compare your value to the size of Betelgeuse, it will also help that they are in the same units.arrow_forward
- Plasketts binary system consists of two stars that revolve in a circular orbit about a center of mass midway between them. This statement implies that the masses of the two stars are equal (Fig. P11.19). Assume the orbital speed of each star is |v|=220km/s and the orbital period of each is 14.4 days. Find the mass M of each star. (For comparison, the mass of our Sun is 1.99 1030 kg.)arrow_forwardIf a visual binary system were to have two equal-mass stars, how would they be located relative to the center of the mass of the system? What would you observe as you watched these stars as they orbited the center of mass, assuming very circular orbits, and assuming the orbit was face on to your view?arrow_forwardReview this spectral data for five stars. Which is the hottest? Coolest? Most luminous? Least luminous? In each case, give your reasoning.arrow_forward
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