Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-short-options-paper-of-the-physics-prelims-of-the-university-of-oxford/2021/s02/3/c/solution
Past exam of the short options paper of the physics Prelims of the University of Oxford 2021 S02 3 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Evaluate the source's printed logarithm using the numerical magnitude value 21.0, with base-ten logarithms:This is the literal printed-fit convention identified above. Convert the mean visual surface brightness to a linear luminosity per projected area. At 10 parsecs, one square arcsecond subtends . The definition of absolute magnitude consequently givesThe constant is the conversion between the angular and physical projected area. Since the effective radius encloses half the total luminosity,For the stipulated stellar population of Solar-type stars, approximate the stellar mass-to-light ratio by . Summing 100 such galaxies then givesThis assumes negligible interstellar extinction and that the supplied surface brightness is an intrinsic or already corrected value; an observed cosmological surface brightness requires additional dimming and passband corrections before this conversion.
For comparison only, if the empirical coefficients and intercept were instead meant for , substituting in that fit would give , , and . Those are conditional alternative results, not an unannounced correction of the printed units.
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