IC2497 is a galaxy that contained a quasar - AQA - A-Level Physics - Question 4 - 2021 - Paper 4
Question 4
IC2497 is a galaxy that contained a quasar. It is believed that the quasar stopped emitting radiation several thousand years ago.
04.1 Suggest why the quasar stoppe... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:IC2497 is a galaxy that contained a quasar - AQA - A-Level Physics - Question 4 - 2021 - Paper 4
Step 1
Suggest why the quasar stopped emitting radiation.
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Answer
Quasars are powered by supermassive black holes that consume surrounding matter. If the black hole at the center of IC2497 has stopped feeding, possibly due to a lack of nearby matter, it would cease to emit radiation. The absence of material falling into the black hole can lead to the quasar becoming inactive.
Step 2
Determine the distance from the Earth to IC2497.
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Answer
To calculate the distance to IC2497, we can use the formula:
d=H0c×red shift
Where:
c=3.0×108 m/s (speed of light)
H0=70 km−1s−1≈2.3×10−18s−1
Substituting the values:
d=70 km/s3.0×108 m/s×0.0516
d≈1.5×1010 km
Expressing this in megaparsecs (Mpc), we know:
1 Mpc≈3.09×1019 km
Thus, converting:
d≈3.09×1019 km/Mpc1.5×1010 km≈0.0485 Mpc
The distance from the Earth to IC2497 is approximately 0.0485 Mpc.