Transcript March 4

Survey of the Universe
Tom Burbine
[email protected]
Prospective Astronomy Majors
Lunch
Monday, March 4th
12:15-1:10pm
Kendade 303
Meet the faculty, learn about the Mars Rover, and enjoy a
delicious lunch.
HW# 3
• Due Wednesday
So why are some types of radiation
dangerous?
• Higher the energy, the farther the photons can
penetrate
• So gamma and X-rays can pass much more easily
into your the body
• These high-energy photons can ionize atoms in
cells
• Ionization means removes electrons from an atom
Thermal energy
• Temperature – average kinetic energy of particles
• Higher temperature – more kinetic energy,
particles moving faster
• For examples, air molecules around you are
moving at ~500 m/s
Temperature scales
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In America, we use Fahrenheit
Water freezes at 32 degrees F
Water boils at 212 degrees F
Everywhere else, they use Celsius
Water freezes at 0 degrees C
Water boils at 100 degrees C
In Science
• Temperature is measured in Kelvin
• Zero Kelvin is absolute zero – nothing moves
• Add 273.15 to the Celsius temperature to get the
Kelvin temperature
• 273.15 Kelvin = 0 degrees Celsius
Blackbody
• A black body is an object that absorbs all
electromagnetic radiation that falls onto it.
• Perfect emitter of radiation
• Radiates energy at every wavelength
http://www.astro.ncu.edu.tw/contents/faculty/wp_chen/Ast101/blackbody_curves.jpg
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/general/asap-2005/Thur-AM2/Williams_DoD_Satellites_files/slide0005_image020.gif
Wien’s Law
• Wavelength of Maximum intensity of the
blackbody curve peak = (2,900,000) nm
T (Kelvin)
• If T = 10,000 K,
• λmax = [2,900,000/(10,000)] nm
• λmax = 290 nm
• 1 nanometer = 1 x 10-9 meters
• λmax = 290 nm = 2.0 x 10-7 meters
Power and Luminosity
• Power is in Joules/second = Watts
• Luminosity is the total light output
Stefan-Boltzman Law
• Emitted power per square meter of the surface = σT4
• Temperature is in Kelvin
• constant is σ = 5.67 x 10-8 Watt/(m2K4)
• If you double the temperature of an object, it will be
2*2*2*2 = 16 times more luminous
• If you triple the temperature, it will be 3*3*3*3 =
81 times more luminous
• Hotter objects are more luminous (give off more
light)
• The luminosity of a blackbody rises as the
temperature to the fourth power
What we can learn from stars
• Luminosity (emitted energy/second) of an star is
proportional to T4 and the surface area of the star
L= σAT4
(σ =5.67 × 10−8 W m−2 K−4)
• The color of the star is related to 1/T
Wavelength peak = [2,900,000 /T (Kelvin)] nm
1 nanometer = 1 x 10-9 meters
• Spectral lines give you information of the
composition of the star
Any Questions?