ASTR 1101 : Astro Exam 2 Notes
Document Summary
James maxwell: revolutionized how the fields react, four equations basis of all electromagnetism, all radiation (light) travels as an electromagnetic wave. Black body emits all spectrums of color. Perfect black body will give off all forms of the spectrum: 2. When white light enters into a hot transparent gas, the gas will take out absorption lines (characteristic lines: 3. A transparent gas will reemit characteristic lines in the form of emission lines. Spectroscopy identifies spectrum of the thing you"re looking at: used to identify new elements, why does it happen, happens because of the atomic transitions of electrons around the atom. Light is optical, radio, infrared, ultraviolet : gamma rays shortest wavelength (comparable in size to the nucleus of an atom). I study bursts of gamma-rays coming from distant galaxies. Gamma-rays also given off by radioactive elements: x rays short wavelength (comparable in size to atoms). I work with a group that studies compact binary systems that give off x-rays.
