Briefly explain how mass transferred from one star to another in a binary system flows into a rapidly rotating whirlpool called an accretion disk
What will be an ideal response?
Mass transferred from one star to another in a binary must conserve its angular momentum. Thus it must flow into a rapidly rotating whirlpool called an accretion disk around the second star. The gas in the disk grows hot due to friction and tidal forces and eventually falls onto the second star. If that second star, the one receiving the matter lost from its companion, is a compact object like a white dwarf, the gas in the accretion disk can become very compressed. The gas temperature can exceed a million K, producing X-rays. In addition, the matter accumulating on the white dwarf can eventually cause a violent explosion called a nova.
You might also like to view...
A monster turnip (assumed spherical) weighing in at 0.45 kg is dropped into a cauldron of water boiling at atmospheric pressure. If the initial temperature of the turnip is 17°C, how long does it take to reach 92°C at the center? Assume that
GIVEN
FIND
Time needed to reach 92°C at the center
ASSUMPTIONS
SKETCH
The tube length of a typical microscope is
A. The distance from the objective lens to the eyepiece focal point. B. The distance between the location of fo and the location of fe. C. The focal length of the objective lens. D. The distance between the final image and the eyepiece.
A 4.0-kg particle is moving horizontally with a speed of 5.0 m/s when it strikes a vertical wall. The particle rebounds with a speed of 3.0 m/s. What is the magnitude of the impulse delivered to the particle?
a. 24 N/s b. 32 N/s c. 40 N/s d. 30 N/s e. 8.0 N/s
This type of sediment transport moves large particles such as sand and gravel by rolling, sliding, or bouncing them along the channel bed.
What will be an ideal response?