ASP Stellar Astronomy and Star Life Cycles 2

Question 1

What is a pulsar?

Accepted Answer

A rapidly rotating neutron star emitting beams of electromagnetic radiation

Answer

A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rapidly rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation from its magnetic poles, detected as regular pulses when the beam sweeps past Earth.

Question 2

What stellar spectral class is the Sun?

Accepted Answer

G

Answer

The Sun is a G-type (G2V) main-sequence star, characterized by a surface temperature around 5,500°C and a yellow-white color.

Question 3

What is the CNO cycle in stellar physics?

Accepted Answer

Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen fusion cycle used by massive stars to fuse hydrogen

Answer

The CNO (Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen) cycle is a series of nuclear reactions in which carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen act as catalysts to fuse hydrogen into helium, dominant in stars more massive than the Sun.

Question 4

What is the event horizon of a black hole?

Accepted Answer

The boundary beyond which nothing can escape the black hole's gravity

Answer

The event horizon is the spherical boundary around a black hole at the Schwarzschild radius, inside which the escape velocity exceeds the speed of light and nothing—including light—can escape.

Question 5

What type of supernova results from the thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf?

Accepted Answer

Type Ia

Answer

Type Ia supernovae occur when a white dwarf accretes enough mass from a binary companion to exceed the Chandrasekhar limit, triggering a thermonuclear explosion that destroys the entire star.

ASP - Astronomical Society of the Pacific Exam Practice Test

ASP - Astronomical Society of the Pacific Exam Practice Test

ASP Stellar Astronomy and Star Life Cycles 2