Author Question: Why do stars in the central bulge have a lower metallicity than stars in the disk? What will be ... (Read 71 times)

saraeharris · **on:** Jul 27, 2018

Why do stars in the central bulge have a lower metallicity than stars in the disk?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Explain why the term acceleration is important to the first postulate of special relativity.

What will be an ideal response?

zhanghao · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 27, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Stars in the central bulge formed first, out of material found early in the Universe's history that was mostly hydrogen and helium. Many stars in the disk are younger, and formed after stellar evolution had enriched the interstellar medium with heavier elements. Since metals were present in the materials that formed disk stars, disk stars have a higher metallicity.

Answer to Question 2

The first postulate states that the laws of physics are the same for all observers, no matter what their motion, so long as they are not accelerated. The word accelerated is important. If either spaceship were to fire its rockets, then its velocity would change. The crew of that ship would know it because they would feel the acceleration pressing them into their couches. Accelerated motion, therefore, is differentthe pilots of the spaceships can always tell which ship is accelerating and which is not. The postulates of relativity discussed here apply only to the special case of observers in uniform motion, which means unaccelerated motion. That is why the theory is called the special theory of relativity.