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A)
B)
C)
D)
1.The first three strong radio sources, discovered by Reber in the 1930s and 1940s, did not
include
the galactic nucleus.
a supernova remnant.
a globular cluster.
a distant galaxy.
A)
B)
C)
D)
2.What is the most outstanding feature of a quasar compared to other objects in deep
space?
Its small size
Its great distance from the Earth
Its short lifetime
Its prodigious output of energy
A)
B)
C)
D)
A)
B)
C)
D)
A)
B)
C)
D)
A)
B)
C)
D)
A)
B)
C)
D)
A)
B)
C)
D)
A)
B)
C)
D)
6.What observations convince us that the energy source of a quasar is physically very
small?
Rapid fluctuations in brightness since variations over 1 day mean that the source
must be less than one light-day across
The instant disappearance of the quasar when occulted by the Moon's edge as the
Moon moves in front of a quasar, indicating a very small source size
The sharpness of the emission lines in their optical spectra since motions within a
large source would smear out the line shapes
The extremely small size of the image of a quasar, even from Hubble Space
Telescope images and radio interferometry measurements
7.Seyfert galaxies are
elliptical galaxies with extremely bright nuclei.
supergiant elliptical galaxies that are periodically disturbed by supernova explosions
within them.
spiral galaxies with extremely active cores.
active galaxies that shine mainly by radiation from two relatively widely spaced
radio lobes.
8.BL Lacertae objects appear to be
giant irregular galaxies with neither spiral arms nor the smooth shape of elliptical
galaxies.
elliptical galaxies with bright, starlike nuclei.
spiral galaxies with bright, starlike nuclei.
active galaxies, most of whose energy is emitted by two widely spaced radio lobes.
9.Which of the following will produce synchrotron radiation?
The accelerated motion of high-speed electrons as they spiral in a magnetic field
The heating of matter by compression as it spirals into a black hole
The radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus
The slowing down of charged particles as they enter a dense medium such as the
atmosphere of a star or that of the Earth
10.What mechanism appears to produce the double radio sources seen in intergalactic space?
Two oppositely directed jets of matter, ejected from a small source
Two radio galaxies orbiting each other, much like two binary stars
A radio-bright galaxy with a dark absorbing disk edge-on to the Earth, splitting the
source into two from our viewpoint
D)
Two black holes orbiting around a small but massive galactic nucleus
A)
B)
C)
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A)
B)
C)
D)
11.What recent evidence seems to indicate that several nearby galaxies may contain
supermassive black holes at their centers?
The rotation curve of these galaxies, which shows no decrease in orbital velocity of
stars as the radius of orbit increases out to the observable limit of the galaxy,
indicating an unusual source of gravity.
Spectroscopic observations of stars near the centers of these galaxies showing
extremely fast orbital velocities, indicating the presence of a large mass to keep stars
in orbit
Extreme redshift of light from stars near the centers of these galaxies caused by
gravitational redshift from a very massive object
Observation that these galaxies are rushing rapidly toward each other (and in at least
one case, toward the Milky Way!) because of the gravitational attraction between
these very large masses
A)
B)
C)
D)
A)
B)
C)
D)
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B)
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15.Quasars, double radio sources, and BL Lacertae objects may well be the same kind of
object, the different appearance of them being simply that
their position in the universe is different: Quasars are in our Galaxy, double radio
sources are associated with other galaxies, and BL Lacertae objects are within the
vast voids of space between galaxies.
the orientation of our line of sight to the axis of their ejected jets of matter is
different.
their ages are different: BL Lacertae objects evolving through the double radio
source phase end as quasars.
their sizes are different: Quasars are star-sized, double radio are sources larger, and
BL Lacertae objects are galaxy-sized.
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Answer Key
1.C
2.D
3.C
4.B
5.A
6.A
7.C
8.B
9.A
10.A
11.B
12.D
13.D
14.D
15.B
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