skip to content
 
Goddard Space Flight Center   What's New
  Site Map
HOME Science Special Exhibit Satellites and Data Teachers' Corner
Imagine the Universe!
Ask a High Energy Astronomer Dictionary Resources
Imagine Home  |   Teachers' Corner  |   Lesson Plans  |  

Student Worksheet: Identifying Elements in Supernova Remnants

Procedure

  1. Print out the three simulated spectra of the Tycho supernova remnant:
  2. Use the X-ray line chart below to identify the elements that correspond to the various peaks of emission seen in the spectra. (You can write directly on the printed spectra).
  3. Answer the Think About questions.

Energies of Elemental Spectral Line Features

Element Energy (keV)
O
O
Ne
Ne
Mg
Mg
Si
Si
S
S
Ar
Ar
Ca
Ca
Fe
Fe
0.547
0.654
0.922
1.022
1.352
1.471
1.865
2.006
2.461
2.632
3.140
3.323
3.903
4.108
6.701
6.973

Think About

  • Using spectra, how does an astronomer determine the composition of a star or supernova remnant?
  • List some differences and similarities in the spectra from the three X-ray observatories (ASCA, Astro-E,and Constellation X).
  • Were you able to determine with better accuracy what elements were present in the Astro-E spectra and Con-X spectra as compared to the ASCA spectra? If so, why?
Home Imagine Science Special Exhibit Satellites and Data
Dictionary Resources Teachers' Corner Ask a High Energy Astronomer

Imagine the Universe is a service of the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC), Dr. Nicholas White (Director), within the Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

The Imagine Team
Project Leader: Dr. Jim Lochner
All material on this site has been created and updated between 1997-2004.

Useful plugins

NASA's privacy statement

Do you have a comment or question about this CD-ROM? Please send e-mail to itu@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov.

External links contain material that we found to be relevant. However they're not maintained by us and the content may have changed. If you find any external links that contain inappropriate material, please let us know by sending an e-mail to itu@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov.

CD Table of Contents