astronomy

PKS 2052−474

PKS 2052−474 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand PKS 2052−474 rather than just read about it. In short: PKS 2052−474 is a blazar located in the southern constellation of Indus. The redshift of the object is (z) 1.491 and was discovered as a radio source during observations conducted at Parkes Observatory located in New South Wales, in September 1964.

Key takeaways

PKS 2052−474 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PKS 2052−474 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PKS 2052−474 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PKS 2052−474 is a blazar located in the southern constellation of Indus. The redshift of the object is (z) 1.491 and was discovered as a radio source during observations conducted at Parkes Observatory located in New South Wales, in September 1964. It was later identified as a galaxy by Keith Tritton, with its radio spectrum described as flat, thus making it a flat-spectrum radio quasar.

Description PKS 2052−474 is very variable on the electromagnetic spectrum. It is noted for its increasing gamma-ray activity as indicated on 9 August 2009, where it reach a high state with a gamma-ray flux measurement of 8.7 ± 1.6 × 10−7 photons cm−2 s−1, detected by Fermi Gamma-ray space Telescope, which was more than a factor of 4. It also underwent two minor flares between June and July 2009, with its flux increasing upwards to 15.6 magnitude in R-bands by 21 July, followed by an outburst in August. On 2 March 2020, it was found in an elevated gamma-ray emission state with its flux measured as 1.2 ± −0.2 × 10−6 photons cm−2 s−1 making this the highest daily flux detected in this source. Data from a light curve, have showed PKS 2052−474 has two flaring periods, occurring in February and June 2009, but absence of significant emission line variability. The source of PKS 2052−474 is compact. Very Long Baseline Interferometry imaging at 8.4 GHz, have shown the object has a prominent radio core measuring 0.38 Jansky and a jet component located at a distance of 0.7 milliarcseconds with a position angle of -66°. At 4.8 GHz, imaging showed the source has the same core with the weakest feature interpreted as a secondary component appearing 8 milliarcseconds to the east, likely interpreted as an imaging artifact. A two-sided jet is seen emerging from the core region on arcsecond scales while first-epoch imaging results showed there is a weak jet towards west direction. PKS 2052−474 has been used as a Molonglo calibrator. When observed by the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope, the source is found to have a steep radio spectrum at a low frequency. However, it then flattens when reaching high frequencies prompting astronomers to classify it as variable on a time scale amongst 17 other sources. This is suggested by scintillation in interstellar medium rather caused by intrinsic effects on the source. A lower limit has also been calculated for the object with a brightness temperature of 2 × 1011 K, based on an upper limit of the source's angular size. There is evidence PKS 2052−474 has quasi-periodic periodicity of 637 days, making it a candidate quasar with a binary supermassive black hole. An accretion disk temperature of 1.23 (± 0.33) × 104 K and disk luminosity of 1.29 (± 1.68) × 1046 erg s−1 has been calculated for PKS 2052−474.

References

External links PKS 2052−474 on SIMBAD

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PKS 2052−474

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PKS 2052−474 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PKS 2052−474 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PKS 2052−474 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PKS 2052−474

In research: PKS 2052−474 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PKS 2052−474 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PKS 2052−474 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Active galaxies, Astronomical objects discovered in 1964, Blazars, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PKS 2052−474 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study PKS 2052−474 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PKS 2052−474 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PKS 2052−474 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PKS 2052−474 in simple terms?

Why does PKS 2052−474 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PKS 2052−474?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PKS 2052−474.