Unanswered Questions
238 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
10
votes
0
answers
214
views
How well conserved is etendue in extreme gravitational lensing scenarios?
This excellent answer to Could dark matter exist in the Universe in the form of sufficiently dense objects? includes the following image and description:
Light from the background galaxy circles a ...
- 30.7k
7
votes
0
answers
256
views
Get the expression of probed volume between 2 redshifts
1) I can't manage to find/justify the relation (1) below, from the common relation (2) of a volume.
2) It seems the variable r is actually the comoving distance and not comoving coordinates (with ...
CommunityBot
- 1
7
votes
0
answers
315
views
Gravitational eddies across the galaxy?
I read about natural gravitational eddies that travel in a wave that black holes have. They also have a strong magnetic field. Does those eddies follow magnetic field lines of the rotating black hole? ...
- 1
6
votes
0
answers
99
views
How many galaxies are currently merging?
On the homepage of the galaxies research group at CfA SAO, it states, "Astronomers discovered that as many as 25% of galaxies are currently merging with others." They do not provide a ...
- 4,533
5
votes
0
answers
70
views
Do all the accretion disks around a compact object (black hole or neutron star) emit astrophysical jet outflow?
Do all the accretion disks around a compact object (black hole or neutron star) emit astrophysical jet outflow? I mean is it mandatory for a jet to be emitted from an accretion disk?
If so, then why?
...
- 2,169
5
votes
0
answers
86
views
Did the density wave theory for spiral arms take account of this phenomenon?
I came across this link. In it the author speculates that in the outer region of a galaxy, the spiral arms overtake the stars, and vice versa for the inner region. That means there must be a middle ...
- 403
5
votes
0
answers
88
views
Significantly blueshifted Lyman-$\alpha$
Lyman-$\alpha$ line in galaxies is notably known to show a double peaked profile, mainly due to its scattering in a moving medium, see e.g., the very recent Matthee et al. 2021, The X-SHOOTER Lyman-α ...
- 30.7k
5
votes
0
answers
186
views
What are some good books/online resources for astronomy problem sets?
I am currently studying for the international olympiad for astronomy and astrophysics (the syllabus can be found here: https://www.ioaastrophysics.org/syllabus/). I am currently using Carroll Ostlie's ...
- 147
5
votes
0
answers
49
views
What happens with a globular cluster when it passes through a galactic disc?
The orbits of globular clusters are crossing the disks of their galaxies, so they should sometimes pass through the disks. Are there any observed fluctuations in the clusters and in the disks ...
- 151
5
votes
0
answers
62
views
Strength of core-envelope coupling in stars
For a star with a given Zero-Age Main Sequence (ZAMS) mass, as a function of metallicity how strongly is the star's core coupled to its envelope?
I understand that the core-envelope boundary is only (...
- 4,533
5
votes
0
answers
54
views
Why Tidal Tails in Disk Galaxies, but not in Ellipticals?
Why do tidal tails result from only disk galaxies but not ellipticals.
I understand that tidal tails are results of gravitational interactions not strong enough to completely plunge out the material ...
- 1,452
5
votes
0
answers
719
views
Which galaxy is closest to the center of the KBC void?
I was reading up on Bootes void and came across this list of the largest voids in the visible universe, and apparently the one we're in, the KBC void, is not only the biggest, but damned-near ...
- 37.3k
4
votes
0
answers
60
views
Explanation for Planck 2018 temperature fluctuations strongest peaks
As it can be seen from Plank 2018 Cosmic Microwave Background temperature fluctuations data-
There are 3 sharp peaks at multipole expansions $\ell \approx 250, 550, 800 $. Also as multipole expansion ...
4
votes
0
answers
107
views
Reasons for extremely high number density of galaxies at low redshift
I am currently analyzing the SDSS data especially in the extremely low redshift area, in order to measure the cosmological statistics. What I mean by extremely low is z<0.1. One peculiarity that I ...
4
votes
0
answers
32
views
How are shockwaves used to study magnetic fields of merging galaxy clusters?
Recently i read an article about how a shockwave 60 times larger than milky way galaxy is generated.When these shockwaves interacts with magnetic field, radio waves are emitted. I wanted to know how ...
4
votes
0
answers
67
views
What's the angle between the sun's galactic speed and the ecliptic?
I know the sun wobbles up and down the galactic plane around 35myr. I don't mind about that component.
I'd like the know the angle between the linear speed of sun around the Milky Way (just the ...
- 141
4
votes
0
answers
113
views
How much more mass would Mars need to currently have enough pressure for liquid water and oxygen?
My question is whether Mars just about failed to meet the threshold or missed it by a lot. It's been dry for 3 billion years. How much bigger would it have needed to be to buy it that extra time? Let'...
- 7,684
4
votes
0
answers
101
views
From what distances do the atoms in you come from?
If the atoms of a human come from stars, comets, nebulas and magnetrons, then what is the greatest distance that two atoms of a human can possibly have been away from each other previously? Perhaps ...
- 308
4
votes
0
answers
69
views
How significant is the effect of galactic rotation on line broadening of carbon monoxide?
In class the other day, we were discussing observations of rotational transitions of carbon monoxide, namely, the $J=1\to0$ and $J=2\to1$ lines. We originally had assumed that both lines would have ...
- 37.3k
4
votes
0
answers
65
views
How many galaxies have had their distance determined using SNIa?
Supernovae of type Ia can be used as standard candles to determine extra-galactic distances. But these event only occur (roughly) once every 200 years in any given galaxy and rapidly fade away. So to ...
- 17.6k
4
votes
0
answers
101
views
Cosmology : Formula for the bias of galaxies
first I have posted originally on the physics stackexchange but I have not had answers about my question, so I try my luck on this specific forum (if forums leaders want to delete the original post on ...
- 5,636
4
votes
0
answers
101
views
Introduction to the Magellanic Clouds?
I'm looking for an introductory textbook on the Magellanic Clouds, something suited for a student about to obtain their Physics BS degree (ie: not a professional astronomer).
I'm aware of The ...
- 17.6k
4
votes
0
answers
269
views
Why the Hubble constant is so inconsistent?
Having a look on Wikipedia I noticed the following values (of the last 6 years) for the Hubble constant:
67.6±0.7 SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey
73.00±1.75 Hubble Space ...
- 316
4
votes
0
answers
131
views
Spectral analysis of AGN (velocity dispersion of galaxy absorption, doppler shifts)
I was wondering what parameters I need to know/measure to calculate the velocity dispersion of a galaxy, specifically an AGN.
Also, I have spectra where there are blueshifted and redshifted ...
- 5,636
3
votes
0
answers
41
views
Why MIT's Benjamin Rackham says "nearby ultracool dwarf SPECULOOS-3" would look "purplish-red, spotted, and flaring" from an airless orbiting planet?
May 15, 2024 MIT News article Newly discovered Earth-sized planet may lack an atmosphere includes the following:
“We can say from our spectra and other observations that the star has a temperature of ...
- 30.7k
3
votes
0
answers
104
views
SExtractor parameters for identifying Star Forming regions
I am using SExtractor (Source Extractor) to identify Star-Forming regions in a galaxy. The problem is I am unable to choose the parameters required for it. SExtractor is just a tool to identify the ...
- 327
3
votes
0
answers
68
views
Gravitational recoil with stars/planets...?
When two black holes are merging, the resulting merge can be ejected if one of the black holes had less mass than the other one, so the gravitational waves emitted by both of them is unbalanced, and ...
- 1,017
3
votes
0
answers
178
views
How do star orbits, density wave theory and dark matter distribution work together?
I got confused while trying to combine these 3 concepts. Would love to hear some detailed explanation.
Density wave theory states that spiral arms are formed by tilted elliptic orbits. Bertrand's ...
- 31
3
votes
0
answers
56
views
Potential energy in an expanding universe
A question you wonderful geniuses can hopefully answer. Imagine a piece of string drawn between two galaxies. Space between the galaxies is expanding. What force is being applied to the string? Where ...
- 31
3
votes
0
answers
79
views
Deviations of conservation laws in the context of cosmological evolution?
If energy is "not conserved" in General Relativity (or at least, it is difficult to define it) in the context of an accelerating expanding spacetime (like it happens in our Universe), are ...
- 1,017