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Chapter 15: Problem 5

Hot intercloud gas is heated primarily by a. starlight. b. the cosmic microwave background radiation. c. supernova explosions d. neutrinos.

Short Answer

Expert verified
c. supernova explosions

Step by step solution

01

- Understand the Problem

The problem is asking what primarily heats hot intercloud gas. Review the options: starlight, cosmic microwave background radiation, supernova explosions, and neutrinos.
02

- Evaluate Each Option

Consider each option to determine its plausibility: a. Starlight: Starlight can contribute to heating, but it's typically more responsible for heating the surfaces of interstellar dust. b. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation: This is the residual radiation from the Big Bang but it is not energetic enough to heat the hot intercloud gas. c. Supernova Explosions: These release immense energy capable of heating surrounding gas. d. Neutrinos: Neutrinos interact very weakly with matter and are unlikely to contribute significantly to heating.
03

- Choose the Most Likely Option

Based on the evaluation, supernova explosions (option c) are the most likely primary source of heating for hot intercloud gas due to their high energy output.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

supernova explosions
Supernova explosions are among the most energetic events in the universe. They occur when a star reaches the end of its life and undergoes a catastrophic collapse which results in a massive explosion. This explosion sends shockwaves of energy throughout space, heating up the surrounding intercloud gas significantly.
The high temperatures from these explosions can reach millions of Kelvin, providing the necessary energy to heat intercloud gas.
Supernova remnants also play a crucial role in enriching the interstellar medium with heavy elements, which can influence the thermal properties of the intercloud gas.
cosmic microwave background radiation
The cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) is the leftover radiation from the Big Bang. It provides a snapshot of the universe when it was just 380,000 years old.
The CMB is a very uniform background radiation that fills the entire universe. Its temperature is approximately 2.7 Kelvin.
Despite being widespread, the CMB lacks the energy to heat the hot intercloud gas, which requires significantly higher energy levels, thus it cannot be a primary heating source for it.
starlight
Starlight is the visible light emitted by stars. It plays a role in heating interstellar dust and influencing the thermal balance of the interstellar medium.
However, starlight primarily heats dust particles rather than the gas in the intercloud medium. This limits its ability to heat the hot intercloud gas significantly, as the dust particles reradiate energy at longer wavelengths which is less effective in heating the hot gas.
neutrinos
Neutrinos are subatomic particles that are incredibly light and interact very weakly with matter. They are produced in abundance in nuclear reactions, like those occurring in stars and supernovae.
Because neutrinos interact so weakly with matter, they can pass through entire planets and stars without being absorbed or scattered.
Due to their weak interactions, neutrinos cannot contribute significantly to the heating of intercloud gas, which requires more direct forms of energy transfer.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The mass of a proton is 1,850 times the mass of an electron. If a proton and an electron have the same kinetic energy \(\left(E_{K}=1 / 2 m v^{2}\right),\) how many times greater is the velocity of the electron than that of the proton?

Why are so few of the many stars that astronomers see in the sky protostars? a. Protostars are hidden in giant molecular clouds. b. Protostars are small. c. Protostars are dim. d. Protostars are short-lived.

The interstellar medium in the Sun's region of the galaxy is closest in composition to a. the Sun. b. Jupiter. c. Earth d. comets in the Oort Cloud.

Phases of the interstellar medium include (choose all that apply). a. hot, low-density gas. b. cold, high-density gas. c. hot, high-density gas. d. cold, low-density gas.

The Hayashi track is a nearly vertical evolutionary track on the H-R diagram. What does the vertical nature of this track tell you about a protostar as it moves along it? a. The star remains the same brightness. b. The star remains the same luminosity. c. The star remains the same color. d. The star remains the same size.
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