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Date November 2011 Marks available 2 Reference code 11N.3.SL.TZ0.11
Level Standard level Paper Paper 3 Time zone Time zone 0
Command term Draw Question number 11 Adapted from N/A

Question

This question is about stellar distances and stellar properties.

On the grid of the Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagram shown, draw a line to represent the approximate position of the main sequence.

[2]
a.

Barnard’s star is a main sequence star that is 1.8 pc from Earth.

(i) Define the parsec.

(ii) Calculate the parallax angle of Barnard’s star as measured from Earth.

[2]
b.

Outline, using your answer to (b)(ii) and a labelled diagram, how the distance of Barnard’s star from Earth is measured.

[3]
c.

The apparent brightness of Barnard’s star is 3.6×10–12Wm–2 and its surface temperature is 3800 K.

Given that 1 pc=3.1×1016m, show for Barnard’s star

(i) that its luminosity is of the order of 1023W.

(ii) that its surface area is of the order of 1016m2.

[6]
d.

Markscheme

any suitable line from anywhere in top left-hand quadrant; (accept a straight line)
to bottom right-hand quadrant;
The shaded areas are the limits within which the line must be drawn.

a.

(i) distance at which 1 AU subtends an angle of 1 arcsec / distance at which the angle subtended by the radius of Earth’s orbit is 1 arcsec;

(ii) p=(1d=)0.56arcsec;

b.

 

Labelled diagram should relate to the following points:
measure against the fixed stars the angle Barnard’s star subtends at Earth in June and again in December;
difference between the two angles is twice the parallax angle;
orbital radius of Earth about Sun is 1 AU so distance to star is computed from d=1p;

c.

(i) L=4πbd2;
=4×3.14×3.6×10-12×[1.8×3.1]2×1032;
=1.4×1023W;
≈1023W

(ii) A=LσT4;
=1.4×10235.67×108×3.84×1012; (allow ECF from (d)(i))
=1.184×1016m2;
≈1016m2

d.

Examiners report

[N/A]
a.
[N/A]
b.
[N/A]
c.
[N/A]
d.

Syllabus sections

Option D: Astrophysics » Option D: Astrophysics (Core topics) » D.2 – Stellar characteristics and stellar evolution
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