ASTRO 104 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Galactic Center, Parsec, Spiral Galaxy
Document Summary
Destination 10: the galactic center: exponential density law and the inner disk. The inner disk obeys the same exponential density law as the outer disk: Conclusion: the concentration of stars increases exponentially as you approach the galactic center: behavior of young stars and the ism in the galactic disk. Young stars and the ism: more lumpy distribution than other types of objects in the disk, which indicates a large-scale spiral-like structure. Inner 2-3 kpc of disk: young stars and ism are rarer than other objects: the galactic bulge. Nearly spherical: r=500 pc from the galactic center. Low density of molecular clouds (ancient and dormant) Resides in the inner galaxy, shares the same center as the galactic disk. Little gas, old stars (g, k, m = red stars), metal rich (range in chemical abundance) Distribution of stars: power-law density law (more centrally concentrated than. Central density = 1. 5 solar masses/pc^3 (twice central density of disk!)
