Review Sheet: Final Examination
Date of Exam: June 8, 2009
Version Date: June 3, 2009
The Final Examination is cumulative. See the review sheets for Tests
1, 2, & 3 to remind yourselves of the material covered on the first three
tests.
Old Test
Stellar Clusters:
- Why is the observational study of stellar evolution difficult?
- How are stellar clusters used to test our understanding of
stellar evolution? Why are they such useful tests of stellar evolution?
- What are the properties of a cluster of stars that makes the
cluster a valuable test of our understanding of stellar
evolution?
- Sketch the Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams for clusters of
various ages? What is the Main Sequence Turn-off for a cluster of stars?
What does the Main Sequence Turn-off tell us?
- Will a cluster show a fully occupied Main Sequence (stars
all the way from O stars to M stars)? Why not (if not)?
- Explain how stellar clusters can be used to place lower
limits on the age of the galaxy. What is the largest age
found for a stellar cluster? Does this age have implications
for our understanding of cosmology (the evolution of the
Universe)?
- What are globular clusters? What are galactic clusters?
- How old are the oldest globular clusters?
- How old is the Universe estimated to be?
How is this age estimate made? What is Hubble's Law? What are
the ages of the oldest white dwarfs in our Galaxy? How do they
compare to the age of the estimated age of the Universe?
Supernovas:
- What are Type I Supernovas? What are Type II Supernovas? What
observational critierion
is used to differentiate between Type I and Type II SN?
What are SN remnants? What is the Crab Pulsar? What are
criterion is used to differentiate between Type I and Type
II Supernovas?
- List several reasons why astronomers find SN so interesting.
- How is the energy generated in a Type II SN divided among
neutrinos, the explosion, the electromagnetic radiation.
- What role do SN play in nucleosynthesis? What is the
r-process? What is the s-process? Why are SN able to make
elements more massive than Fe?
- What is meant by /Historical Supernova/? What are the
historical SN? What is the last historical SN? What is the
rough rate for SN in a galaxy like the Milky Way?
- What type of stars produce Type I SN? What type of stars
produce Type II SN? Describe both Type I and Type II
Supernovas.
- What is the observational evidence that suggests that our
understanding of Type II SN is reasonably good. What is SN 1987A?
What did we learn about Type II SN from observation of SN 1987A?
- What energy source powers the light produced by a Type I SN
after a few months. Does this energy source play a role in
the evolution fo Type II SN light curves?
- How are Type Ia SN produced? What is the primary obseravtional use
for Type Ia SN?