Theoretical Astrophysics 2016

Homework 1 - Sept. 5
Due date Sept. 12

Please state clearly which problem you are solving. Number all your pages and state the total
number of pages. When solving each problem, state your assumptions, show all of your work, and
include any auxiliary calculations you need to do in order to answer a question or solve a problem.
Your handwriting should be legible.
The maximum score for the homework is 100 points. Unless otherwise specified, when esti-
mates are requested in some of the problems below, it is OK to make rough approximations!
• Exercise 0 - Physical Constants and Astronomical Units (0 points)
Learn the most relevant physical constants in your favorite unite system, e.g., cgs units. There
is no need to learn them better than the first significant digit! For example, the speed of light is
c ' 3 × 1010 cm s−1 , the Planck constant is h ' 6 × 10−27 erg s and thus ~ ' 1 × 10−27 erg s.
This is a handy link: http://www.astro.wisc.edu/˜dolan/constants.html
Get comfortable with the most used units in astrophysics, e.g., solar mass, yr, Gyr, astronom-
ical unit, light-yr, pc, solar luminosity, etc. and how they relate to cgs units. Knowing this will
help you calculate quickly, for example, what does a velocity of pc/yr corresponds to in km/s.
If this is too easy using paper and pencil, try doing it in your head. For example, calculate the
Schwarzschild radius, i.e., R = GM/c2 of a neutron star in this way. What does a temperature of 1
keV corresponds to in Kelvin? Try doing this without paper and pencil!

• Exercise 1 - Back of the Envelope Astrophysics (30 points, 5 points each)

1. Estimate the number of times the Sun has gone around the galactic center.

2. Estimate the Schwarzschild radius of a white dwarf, a neutron star and a 10 M black hole.

3. Estimate the number of protons in the Sun and their average distance from each other.

4. How does the period of a pendulum on the Moon compare to its period on Earth?

5. The width of the base of a jet emitted by an accreting compact object is estimated to
be roughly 10 Schwarzschild radii. The luminosity from the jet is observed to vary on
timescales of the order of one week. Estimate the mass of the compact object. What kind of
object is this?

6. Suppose the Sun were to switch off instantaneously, loosing all pressure support immedi-
ately. Estimate how long it will take for it to collapse. Can you explain why this process
would be much longer than this estimate even if all nuclear reactions were to stop instanta-
neously?

• Exercise 2 - Characteristic Scales (10 points)

The equation describing small oscillations of a pendulum of mass m that departs an angle θ
from the vertical can be written as
d2 θ
m 2 = −kθ , (1)
dt
where k is a constant. What are the dimensions of k? Use k and m to define a characteristic
frequency and write down this equation in terms of a dimensionless time, e.g., τ.

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• Exercise 3 - Dimensional Analysis (20 points, 4 points each)
By adequately combining the gravitational constant G, the speed of light c, and Planck’s con-
stant ~ obtain new quantities that have the dimensions of

1. Length

2. Time

3. Mass

4. Energy

5. Luminosity

• Exercise 4 - Characteristic Scales in the Universe (40 points, 2 points each)

Fill in the table below in the most sensible astronomical units.
Characteristic Scales in the Universe
Object Length Time Mass Temperature
Asteroid
The Moon
The Earth
Rocky planet
Gaseous planet
M dwarf star
The Sun
O star
Red giant star
White dwarf
Neutron star
Black hole
HII region
Open cluster
Globular cluster
Molecular cloud
Supermassive BH
Spiral galaxy
Elliptical galaxy
Galaxy cluster

• Suggested reading
Chapter 1 of ”Theoretical Astrophysics Vol. 1” by T. Padmanhaban.