Science Olympiad Astronomy Division C Guidelines Description Students

Science Olympiad Astronomy Division C

Guidelines �Description: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts of mathematics and physics relating to stellar evolution and Type II Supernova. �A team of up to: 2 �Approximate Time: 50 minutes

Guidelines �Event Parameters: Each team may bring either 2 laptops or 2 3 -ring binder containing info in any form from any source �Materials must be 3 -hole punched and inserted into the rings �Each team member is permitted to bring a programmable calculator �NO INTERNET ACCESS!

The Competition �Using H-R Diagrams, spectra, light curves, motions, cosmological distance equations and relationships, stellar magnitudes and classification, multi-wavelength images (XRay, UV, optical, IR, radio), charts, graphs, animations and DS 9 imaging analysis software, students will answer questions

Competition (Part A) �Stellar evolution, including spectral features and chemical composition, luminosity, blackbody radiation, color index (B-V), and HR Diagram transitions, stellar nurseries and star formation, protostars, main sequence stars

Competition (Part A) cont. �Cepheid variables, semiregular variables, red supergiants, neutron stars, magnetars, pulsars, Wolf-Rayet stars, stellar mass black holes, x-ray binary systems and Type II Supernovas

Stellar Evolution �Lifespan of a star and radical changes �Dependent on mass �Ranges from few million years to trillions of years �All stars born from collapsing clouds of gas and dust

Star Classification �HR Diagram

Kepler’s Laws �Kepler’s First Law: Planets move around the sun in ellipses, with the Sun in one focus �Kepler’s Second Law: the line connecting a planet to the Sun sweeps equal areas in equal times �Kepler’s Third Law: The square of a planet’s sidereal period (P) around the Sun is directly proportional to the cube of the length of its orbit’s semimajor axis (a) �P 2 = a 3, planet closer to the Sun has a shorter year

Kepler’s Laws cont. �Use laws, rotation and circular motion to answer questions relating to orbital motions of binary and multiple star systems �Use parallax, spectroscopic parallax, and the distance modulus to calculate distances to Type I and II Cepheids

Cepheid variables �Cepheid variable stars expand contract in a repeating cycle of size changes �Change in size is comparable with change in brightness

Competition (Part c) �Identify, know the location and answer questions relating to the content areas outlined above for following object: Cas A, IGR J 17091, NGC 6888/WR 136, PSR J 0108 - 1431, Cygnus X-1, SXP 1062, M 1, V 838 Mon, Delta Cep, a Orionis, SN 2010 JL, NGC 3582, LHa 115 N 19, Antares/Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex and IC 1396

Cassiopeia A (Cas A) �Remnant of a massive star that exploded about 300 years ago � 10 light years in diameter � 50 million degrees

IGR J 17091 �Binary system containing stellar mass black hole �Black hole pulling gas away from a companion star

NGC 6888/WR 136 �Nebula

PSR J 0108 -1431 �Solitary Pulsar located in constellation Cetus � 424 Light years away

Cygnus X-1 �Well known galactic X-ray source in Cygnus constellation

SXP 1062 �Supernova in constellation Tucana � 180, 000 Light years away

Messier 1 (M 1) �Crab nebula

V 838 Monocerotis �Constellation Monoceros �Red variable star

Delta Cep �Binary Star System � 887 Light years away

Alpha Orionis

Scoring �All questions will have been assigned a predetermined number of points. The highest score wins. Selected questions having differentiated weights will be used to break ties.

Resources �Aavso. org �Chandra. harvard. edu �Antwrp. gsfc. nasa. gov �Nightsky. ie �Atlasoftheuniverse. com �Email Astronomy professor from IUN at lciupik@adlerplanetarium. org