astronomy

PKS 2149−306

PKS 2149−306 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 2149−306 rather than just read about it. In short: PKS 2149−306 is a distant blazar located in the southern constellation of Piscis Austrinus. It has a redshift of (z) 2.345 and it was first discovered as a strong radio source by astronomers on September 12, 1983.

Key takeaways

PKS 2149−306 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 2149−306 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PKS 2149−306 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PKS 2149−306 is a distant blazar located in the southern constellation of Piscis Austrinus. It has a redshift of (z) 2.345 and it was first discovered as a strong radio source by astronomers on September 12, 1983. The radio spectrum of the object is confirmed flat, making it a flat-spectrum radio quasar.

Description PKS 2149−306 is classified as an X-ray bright radio-loud quasar with a high luminosity value of 6 × 1047 ergs s−1. It was displayed a powerful gamma-ray flare in January 2013. The 0.1-100 GeV energy range of the object was shown to have a measured daily peak flux of 301 ± 36 × 10−8 photons cm−2 s−1, this unit corresponding to around 1.5 ± 0.2 × 1050 erg s−1. In addition, it was shown to have both a significant change in its spectra properties, with its six hour timescale displaying flux variations. The Fermi Space Telescope detected a low-activity state in PKS 2149-306 with a low flux value of 6.4 ± 0.6 × 10−8 photons cm−2 s−1, while no significant signs were detected during the observation campaign between April and May 2009. The radio structure of PKS 2149−306 can be described as a compact non-point source without any characteristics based on radio mapping, with at least two components containing flux densities of 0.78 and 0.06 Jansky. First epoch imaging showed there is a radio core present with a compact component located in a westerly direction, separated by 8.7 milliarcseconds. In March 2006 PKS 2149−306 was found to display multiple emission lines of various chemical elements including hydrogen-alpha and helium in its optical spectrum. One of the emission lines displayed an irregular profile, making it somehow unusual. Low atomic elements such as nitrogen, magnesium, neon and sulfur were also discovered in its X-ray spectrum. A supermassive black hole mass of 3.4 × 109 M☉ has been estimated for the quasar.

References

External links PKS 2149-306 on SIMBAD

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PKS 2149−306

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PKS 2149−306 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 2149−306 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 2149−306 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 2149−306

In research: PKS 2149−306 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 2149−306 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 2149−306 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Active galaxies, Astronomical objects discovered in 1983, Blazars, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PKS 2149−306 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 2149−306 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PKS 2149−306 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 2149−306 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PKS 2149−306 in simple terms?

Why does PKS 2149−306 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 2149−306?

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 2149−306.