X-ray trigonometric parallax/Quiz

X-ray trigonometric parallax is a lecture about the theoretical possibility of using higher resolution X-ray detectors to measure stellar parallaxes. It is also a mini-lecture for a quiz section as part of the department of radiation astronomy course on the principles of radiation astronomy.

File:Sgr B2M.jpg
VLA 90-cm wavelength image, adapted from LaRosa et al. (2000), with the locations of Sgr A*, Sgr B2, and J1745–2820 indicated. Credit: M. J. Reid, K. M. Menten, X. W. Zheng, A. Brunthaler, and Y. Xu.

You are free to take this quiz based on X-ray trigonometric parallax at any time.

To improve your score, read and study the lecture, the links contained within, listed under See also, External links, and in the {{principles of radiation astronomy}} template. This should give you adequate background to get 100 %.

As a "learning by doing" resource, this quiz helps you to assess your knowledge and understanding of the information, and it is a quiz you may take over and over as a learning resource to improve your knowledge, understanding, test-taking skills, and your score.

Suggestion: Have the lecture available in a separate window.

To master the information and use only your memory while taking the quiz, try rewriting the information from more familiar points of view, or be creative with association.

Enjoy learning by doing!

Quiz

edit

  

1 Yes or No, Distance measurement by parallax is a special case of the principle of triangulation.

Yes
No

2 Trigonometric parallax involves which of the following?

parsecs
reciprocal of parallax
arcseconds
apparent changes in position
lines of sight

3 Copernicus's theory provided a strikingly simple explanation for the apparent retrograde motions of the planets—namely as

displacements.

4 Radiation phenomena associated with trigonometric parallax are

gamma-ray trigonometric parallax distances < 0.4 kpc
X-ray trigonometric parallax distances good to 2 pc
ultraviolet trigonometric parallax is good to ± 7 pc
visual trigonometric parallax distances good to about 3 kpc
infrared trigonometric parallax with an accuracy of 120 µas
radio trigonometric parallax distances good at least to 1.86 kpc

5 Complete the text:

Trigonometric parallax measurements of

pulsars are the reliable

.

6 Complete the text:

Match up the type of trigonometric parallax with each of the possibilities below:
visual parallax - A
distribution function of the errors in distance - B
VLBA - C
Cygnus X-1 - D
pulse times of arrival - E
ultraviolet trigonometric parallax - F
optical annual parallax (HST) - G
continuum 'fixed' radio sources J1953+3537 and J1957+3338

.
Vela pulsar

.
skewed due to non-linearity

.
cloud top height

.
Sgr B2M and Sgr B2N

.
PSRs J1744−1134 and J1024−0719 detected at X-ray energies

χ Cyg 144 ± 25 pc (Stein 1991)

.

7 Complete the text:

Match up the trigonometric parallax phenomena with the image:
stellar parallax motion - A
Very Long Baseline Array - B
radio continuum - C
Chandra X-ray Observatory spatial resolution HRC-I ~ 0.5 arcsec - D
WD 0346+246 has a trigonometric parallax measurement - E
Very Large Telescope - F
File:Proxima xray.jpg

.
 

.
File:FORS2 image of DE1520-44.jpg

.
File:Continuum Sources.jpg

.
File:SSPM J2231-7514.jpg

File:Sgr B2M.jpg

.

8 Which of the following is not related directly to an astronomical trigonometric parallax associated with Geminga?

optical trigonometric parallax
the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Observatory
measurements of radio pulsars
only available for the nearby pulsars
distance value of 0.25 +0.12 or −0.06 kpc

9 True or False, For larger and trigonometrically less reliable distances, use the Wilson-Bappu magnitudes.

TRUE
FALSE

10 Which of the following is not an astronomical trigonometric parallax or derived from it?

Hipparcos mission (ESA 1997), π = 15.15 ± 3.24 mas
independent observational constraint for DA white dwarfs
parallax distance of 357 +43 or −35 pc
angular diameter comparison
distance estimates
the range of an artificial satellite


Hypotheses

edit
  1. It is possible using X-ray trigonometric parallax to fix the position of the Sun.

See also

edit
edit

{{Radiation astronomy resources}}