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Chapter 24: Problem 13

What is the Tully-Fisher relation? How is it used for measuring distances? Can it be used for galaxies of all kinds? Why or why not?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The Tully-Fisher relation is an empirical relationship between a spiral galaxy's luminosity and its maximum rotation velocity, which is used to determine astronomical distances. However, this relation is not applicable to all types of galaxies, particularly elliptical galaxies due to their varying stellar populations and non-flat rotation curves.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Tully-Fisher Relation

The Tully-Fisher relation is an empirical correlation between the mass or intrinsic luminosity of a spiral galaxy and its maximum rotation velocity. It was first described by astronomers R. Brent Tully and J. Richard Fisher in 1977. Essentially, this relation indicates that galaxies with higher luminosity have faster rotational speeds.
02

Using the Tully-Fisher Relation to Measure Distances

The Tully-Fisher relation can be utilized to measure astronomical distances to spiral galaxies. The intrinsic brightness of a galaxy (which can be determined by careful observation of its spectrum) is compared to its observed brightness. Because light diminishes in accordance with the inverse square law, this comparison can yield the distance to the galaxy.
03

Application of the Tully-Fisher Relation on Different Galaxies

Unfortunately, it's not applicable to all types of galaxies. The Tully-Fisher relation primarily applies to spiral and lenticular galaxies; it's not as effective when used on elliptical galaxies. This is mainly because elliptical galaxies do not have flat rotation curves like spiral galaxies, and their stellar populations can vary significantly, leading to a wide range of luminosities at a given mass.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Use the Stamy Night Enthusiast \({ }^{\mathrm{TM}}\) program to observe other galaxies. Select Favourites \(>\) Guides \(>\) Atlas to display the entire celestial sphere. Open the Options pane, expand the Deep Space list, and click the box for Messier Objects to display these objects. Open the Find pane and select each of the following galaxies in turn. Zoom in as necessary to see the shape of the galaxy to determine its Hubble classification as well as you can, and explain your reasoning: (i) Virgo A (M87); (ii) M105; (iii) \(\mathrm{M} 102\); (iv) M104; (v) M109.

Hubble made his observations of Cepheids in M31 using the 100 -inch (2.5-meter) telescope on Mount Wilson. Completed in 1917 , this was the largest telescope in the world when Hubble carried out his observations in 1923. Why was it helpful to use such a large telescope?

. What was the Shapley-Curtis "debate" all about? Was a winner declared at the end of the "debate"? Whose ideas turned out to be correct?

Explain why the dark matter in galaxy clusters could not be neutral hydrogen.

The galaxy RD1 has a redshift of \(z=5.34\). (a) Determine its recessional velocity \(v\) in \(\mathrm{km} / \mathrm{s}\) and as a fraction of the speed of light. (b) What recessional velocity would you have calculated if you had erroneously used the low-speed formula relating \(z\) and \(v\) ? Would using this formula have been a small or large error? (c) According to the Hubble law, what is the distance from Earth to RD1? Use \(H_{0}=73 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{s} / \mathrm{Mpc}\) for the Hubble constant, and give your answer in both megaparsecs and light-years.
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