The solar system- Jon Carey (25/09/23) Flashcards

1
Q

What 2 dominant sources does our knowledge of abundance of elements in the universe?

A

Spectroscopic analysis
Meteorite analysis

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2
Q

What is spectroscopic analysis?

A

using the light emitted from the sun/ other stars and intergalactic nebulae

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3
Q

What type of element is spectroscopic analysis best for finding?

A

Volatile elements

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4
Q

What type of element is meteorite analysis best for finding?

A

non-volatile elements

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5
Q

What are the 3 “types of matter” to understand? (solar systems)

A

interstellar gas/ dust and stars (big very old stuff)
Composition and nature of planets
Asteroids and meteorites

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6
Q

What is modern interstellar dust composed of?

A

H-hydrogen
O- oxygen
C-carbon
N- nitrogen
Mg- magnesium
Si-silicon
Ca- Calcium
Fe-Iron

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7
Q

What was the first interstellar dust composed of? (potentailly)

A

H- hydrogen
He- Helium

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8
Q

What ways can “star dust” be sampled?

A

from meteorites or directly

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9
Q

What is an example of a project to sample stardust?

A

Cassini to Saturn

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10
Q

How did stars form in the early universe?

A

gravitational collapse as cloud of dust and gas in nebulae

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11
Q

What does the heat at the centre of a new star allow to occur?

A

hydrogen fusion to form helium

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12
Q

What happens to a star when hydrogen begins to runout?

A

the core collapses (increases heat and pressure)

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13
Q

What can medium stars fuse up to?

A

Carbon

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14
Q

What does a medium star form when it sheds its mass?

A

planetary nebula
white dwarf

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15
Q

What can a massive stars core fuse upto?

A

Fe- iron

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16
Q

What temperature is needed in a stars core to fuse Iron?

A

100 billion degrees

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17
Q

What are the stages are degradation of a massive star?

A

collapse
Nuclei repulsion
supernova
neutron star/ blackhole

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18
Q

What was Joseph Von Fraunhofer studying/measuring in 1814?

A

darklines in the solar spectrum

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19
Q

What was discovered 45 years after Fraunhofer dark lines which allowed the composition if the sun to be determined?

A

dark-lines coincided with emission lines in the heated element spectra

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20
Q

What did the dark-lines theory show the rough composition of the sun is?

A

H-73%
He- 25%
C-0.5%
O-0.5%
Other sum to 1%

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21
Q

What will larger stars do with nuclear fusion?

A

Move up the elemental chain though progressive fusion till Fe

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22
Q

How are elements heavier than Fe formed? (Solar System)

A

Neutron capture during supernovae explosion

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23
Q

What are the 4 planets closest 2 the sun known as?

A

Terrestrial planets- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

24
Q

What are the planets past mars called/ known as?

A

Gas giants- Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus

25
Q

What is the common factors of a terrestrial planet?

A

Have a core
Evidence of current or past tectonics

26
Q

What elements are the mantle and crust dominated by on terrestrial planets?

A

SiO2
MgO

27
Q

What element is the core dominated by on terrestrial planets in our solar system?

A

Fe- iron

28
Q

What elements are Jupiter and Saturn mainly composed of?

A

H2
He

29
Q

What elements are Uranus and Neptune composed of mostly?

A

H20
CH4
NH3

30
Q

What is nuclear fusion?

A

When hydrogen atoms fuse to form helium

31
Q

What are the brief steps if the solar system formation?

A

4.6 bn yr wispy cloud of gas and dust
Some part of cloud collapses in on itself
Flat spinning disk of dust and gas created
Enough material gathered formed the sun
Left other material formed meteorites and planetary bodies

32
Q

Where did/ has most ice formed on our solar system?

A

Further from the sun as only rocky can survive closer proximity

33
Q

What might have been the cause for the collapse of the dust and gas cloud in the early solar system formation?

A

Maybe due to shockwave of nearby supernova explosions

34
Q

How much material that was in the dust and cloud was collected by the sun formation? (%)

A

99.8%

35
Q

What is the evidence that accreation wasn’t gentle?

A

Mercury missing mantle+elliptical orbit
Origin of earths moon
Planets axes of rotation not on perpendicular orbital plane

36
Q

What are meteorites?

A

Left over chunks of early solar system when planets formed

37
Q

What are meteorites an important source of information for?

A

Early history
planetary composition

38
Q

What are the 3 types of meteorite?

A

Irons
Stony irons
Stones

39
Q

What is the composition of iron meteorites?

A

Iron-nickel alloy

40
Q

What is the composition of stony irons?

A

Silicate minerals
Fe-Ni alloys

41
Q

What are stone meteorites mainly composed of?

A

Silicate minerals (chondrites and achondrites)

42
Q

How many meteorites have been found?

A

Over 50,000

43
Q

How many of the found meteorites have been stony?

A

90%

44
Q

What are the 3 types of stony meteorites?

A

Chondrites
Achondrites
Carbonaceaous chondrites

45
Q

What are Chondrites composed of?

A

Millimeter sized round masses called Chondrules and matrix

46
Q

What is a chondrule?

A

One molten droplets of rock/ material

47
Q

What did the chondrules and matrix form in chondrites?

A

Anhydrous high temp minerals

48
Q

What are Achondrites like/ composed of?

A

No Chondrules
Texture and mineral similar to earth
Lunar like primitive igneous rock (basalts)

49
Q

What do carbonaceous chondrites contain?

A

Chondrules
Hydrous low temp minerals
Hydrocarbons
Water
Volatile elements

50
Q

Which type of stony meteorite is most primitive?

A

Carbonaceous chondrites

51
Q

What will knowing the composition of the solar atmosphere allow us to know?

A

Composition of the nebula the solar system formed from

52
Q

What is the composition of some carbonaceous chondrites thought to be similar to ?

A

Solar atmosphere (primitive material which all bodies in solar system formed from)

53
Q

When have many carbonaceous chondrites been dated to?

A

4.56 billion years ago using radiogenic isotopes

54
Q

What is used to date meteorites

A

Radiogenic isotopes

55
Q

How were al objects in the early universe formed?

A

Successive accreation from small to large masses